Evolution: Heroes of Tomorrow!
by SpaceRyder69
Summary: THIS STORY IS DEAD AND BAD! SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED VERSION IN PROGRESS!
1. The Entrance Exam

**First try at a real story on this site, I've been here for years and never really given it much of a chance but hey lets see what happens. Give me your criticism your thoughts your ideas I want to hear it all!**

 **But, if you've just taken enough time to open and read it, thank you.**

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 _"Go AWAY!"_

 _"W-Wait! Stay away from that thing!"_

 _"S-Some kind of beast!"_

 _"Leave my friends ALONE! You big ugly MONSTER!"_

 _"Don't go any closer! Get back!"_

 _"It must be a new villain!"_

 _"STOP!"_

Adachi's eyes snapped open, gasping for breath as he sat up. The young boy took a moment to gather himself, before sighing heavily and looking towards the alarm clock. Which only made him release another grown of discomfort. Whelp, there was nothing for it. He had to get up, and get ready. Today was the big day, the day he and his friends friends find out what they can really do. And find out if they have what it takes, to make it into the Hero Academy.

"Kaiji?" A knock sounded at the door, his Dad's voice ringing through, "You okay? I thought I heard something..."

"I'm up, its fine." The the young boy assured, smiling faintly at his fathers concern. Always happy to be reminded of his care, "I'll be out in a minute."

"Alright!" He answered, leaving the door after a moment and leaving him in silence once more. His smile vanished quickly, and his thoughts returned to that nightmare, _"Why now?"_ He wondered, standing up from his bed, and looking out the window to watch the rising sun, _"Why am I remembering that now?"_

Pushing it aside, Kaiji quickly made his way to the bathroom to get washed up and ready for his big day. The young boy had been training for this, preparing to show the world what he could do and prove how tough he was!

There were always doubts, Kaiji wasn't exactly a fit young man. Sure he was tall, already six feet at his young age, but he looked like a twig. He was thin, pale with long lanky limbs, with not a single hair on his head. You'd think he had some kind of ghoulish quirk, if not for his almost glowing blue reptilian eyes, and the long forked tongue.

He finished washing his up, and after brushing his teeth he made his way down the hall to the kitchen. When he opened the door he blinked and quickly moved forward, the young boy grabbing the tea pot for his father. The older man was having trouble leaning forward in his wheelchair to reach it. He shared many of Kaiji's facial features, though he lacked the reptilian aspects and certainly wasn't as thin.

"I had it." He said, though not in an angered way.

Kaiji smiled and poured him a cup, "I know, you gonna be home today?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I might be late," He shrugged, taking a seat at the table and starting to prod at his breakfast while his father rolled up across from him, "Friends and I are thinking of heading to the arcade to celebrate after the exam."

He frowned slightly, "You know you shouldn't count on victory so early, these exams are tough."

Kaiji sighed a little, "Yeah I know Dad... But I mean, if you could handle it..." He trailed, grinning at him.

"Oi, your old man was quite the hero back in the day." He warned, wagging a finger at Kaiji.

The young boy laughed, "I know I know... Just poking fun..."

His Father sighed lightly, "Just... Be careful, alright? All three of you." He added with a chuckle.

Kaiji nodded his head, "We will Dad, thanks..."

 **. . .**

There was still plenty of time, before they needed to head to the UA for the test. And so, Kaiji made his way to the station, to meet up with his friends and get there early. It was a quiet morning, their district was never crazy busy and it had a lot of local business, no massive commercial buildings that flooded the streets with traffic. Kaiji always liked early morning walks, despite his aversion to the cold...

"Kaiji! About time Slowpoke!" The abrasive, excited tone of his friend shouted from above, "What took you so long? I almost left without you guys!"

"I'm surprised you could even get up this early Kirishima!" Kaiji shot back with a grin, ascending the steps to join them.

"Oh ha ha," Kirishima rolled his eyes, waving him off, "You ready to go? I wanna get there early, maybe get some practice in and loosen up!"

"Isn't your quirk all about hardening?" The light, friendly voice of their third member sounded as she walked up the stairs behind Kaiji.

"You know what I meant Mina!" Kirishima barked loudly, as both Mina and Kaiji laughed.

"Alright come on," Kaiji said with a grin as the train pulled up, "Lets get up there, maybe go over stuff on the way? I mean... We don't _actually_ know what we are up against." He shrugged, waiting for a few people to step off the train before stepping on, Kirishima and Mina following behind.

"Good idea I guess, it will at least fill some time." The red headed boy nodded, taking a seat beside Kaiji, Mina taking the opposite side. The three were all dressed in athletic clothes, or just the kind loose stuff you'd wear for a workout, all wanting to stay freely mobile during the tests.

"Alright! Run down!" Mina declared, "I spit acid! I can secrete from my hands too, and I've gotten really good at sliding around on it!"

"And don't forget that mean right hook," Kaiji chuckled, "Last practice you nearly knocked me out cold! But yeah, you've got Acid, and Kirishima can harden his whole body, like an unbreakable shield." He added with a grin to his confident companion, "That'll be awesome, both your abilities are great!"

"Don't sell yourself short Kaiji," Mina smiled at him, "Your transformation stuff is really cool!"

"Yeah, I mean," Kirishima started, "You can harden small pockets of scales on your body, and they're almost as tough as my hardening! And that transformation is way better than my quirk, way more flashy and impressive!"

"Heh, now who's selling himself short?" Kaiji chuckled, blushing a bit as he leaned back in his chair, "Yeah, I guess we've all got good quirks, I think we'll all do fine... And hey! Even if only one of us make it, we're going out to celebrate afterwards!"

"Yeah!"

 **. . .**

Things from there got a bit dicey.

An hour later, we were about to be split up, and taken to different areas for our own tests. Dividing the students to minimize the chance of friends working together. It made sense, no favoritism between candidates... This was a contest, after all, and hundreds, maybe thousands were competing.

"This sucks," Kirishima sighed shaking his head, "So much for standing strong together..."

"Yeah, things might get a bit harder with us alone," Mina noted, "And some of these other people look pretty tough."

"Hey, come on, I mean..." Kaiji started, though his smiled nearly faltered when they both looked at him, "W-We... We can do this!" He assured nervously, "You guys are both amazing, not only your quirks but you're great fighters! I know you'll... W-We will all pass this test!" Maybe he wasn't the most confident sounding motivational speaker, but wanted his friends to feel better.

Kirishima smirked, crossing his arms, "Yeah, I am pretty great..." He answered, sarcastically smug, "Look, I'm not giving up any time soon, so why don't we agree that... No matter what, we are all passing this test!"

"Yeah!" Mina nodded, "Even if we're apart, we've got each other strengths with us... Or something, I don't know I heard something like that in a movie!" Mina blushed nervously laughing, the other two young boys joining her.

As the laughter started to die down, and they all knew they only had a moment before they had to go, the fiery young man stuck out a fist, "Let's make a pact, right now! That we'll find a way to stay together! Through this exam, and beyond!"

Kaiji looked at his hand in surprise, such an act was not like him, "Uh... Wow, Kirishima I... I'm in!" A grin spreading across his unsure lips, as he bumped his fist with his friend.

"I agree, from here on out we are together! We're all gonna become great heroes!" Mina beamed, sticking in her hand as well, "Lets DO THIS!"

After a few goodbyes, and promises to meet up once this was over. The three close friends parted ways, and headed for their testing grounds. Kaiji's smile fading shortly after leaving them, as his own doubts began to sink in.

 _"With my transformation I should be able to take out these bots but... Will it be enough to compete with others?"_ He wondered, wincing a bit as he thought of pushing it, maybe going further than- _"No, I don't need to be the best, I just need to pass... I can do it! For Kirishima and Ashido, for my friends!"_ He stopped before his gate, swallowing nervously as it began to slowly open, _"And... For you dad."_

"Don't waste time Folks! GET IN THERE AND KICK BUTT!"

The voice of that ridiculous DJ hero sounded over the speakers. And instantly the games began, a horde of would be heroes charging into the city. Kaiji nearly tripping as he started running, begin to pant in just a few moments, cursing himself for not changing early. Whatever, he would just have to deal with it now and use his skills to handle this.

As the crowds charged forward, he slid to a stop. Turning his head he picked up on something, sticking his tongue out he smirked. Tasting the air like a snake, he could smell something nearby and burst down the nearest alleyway getting off the main street. As he reached the end, he tripped. Stumbling forward but also falling right under the swinging arm of a green mech.

"Agh!" He yelped, rolling across the ground to try and get some distance, "A 1 pointer..." He smirked faintly, steadying his nerves, "Alright tough guy! Let's go!" He started forming the light blue scales over his arms, nails growing sharp.

The Bot charged, taking a heavy swing at him as if to brush him aside quickly. Kaiji braced, raising both arms it took the blow sending a shock wave through his body as he winced, "Ngh! Take THIS!" He lunged with his clawed hands, shredding the light metal surrounding the bots body, exposing its sensitive inner workings. Kaiji quickly ripped through the wires, and the machine collapsed, "Nice! 1 point already!" He grinned.

 _"Maybe I can do this without it..."_

 **. . .**

Outside of the testing grounds, in the observation room the Teachers were watching. Judging the performances carefully and putting up rescue points when applicable. But as it went on, one of the experienced heroes blinked in surprise.

"Those eyes... Isn't that Colossus' kid?" Midnight asked cocking an eyebrow.

"Kaiji Adachi, that's right..." Another responded, "But it doesn't look like he picked up his father's Quirk, mostly his mothers."

"What a shame..."

 **. . .**

Kaiji kept going, shredding the bots he could and racking up a modest amount of points. As the timer started counting down, he was seeing fewer enemies and more wreckage. There was one young boy, he was absolutely decimating the competition. Unleashing furious explosions and demolishing the machines with little effort.

Kaiji knew it would be best to steer clear, but just as he was about to go chasing another bot scent a tremor shook the streets. Kaiji's eyes went wide, as an eruption of dust and debris spread through the area, blinding him momentarily. But as it began to clear, he was met with the sight of other candidates running away.

"What is... Where are... Why-" His voice hitched, as his eyes locked onto the the towering, mean green machine rolling up the streets, "Th-That's..." His mind flashed back, to that young man who stood up and pointed out a missing enemy description during the exam briefing, "THAT THING ISN'T WORTH ANY POINTS!?" He exclaimed.

"That's right! So RUN!" A young girl with green vine hair shouted as she ran past him, "For your own safety!"

Kaiji blinked, noticing she was carrying a bunch of knocked out candidates in her vines. Maybe they were hurt in the blast when that thing appeared? Either way, she was right. He needed to steer clear of that big bot, or he could get seriously injured! And it wasn't even worth any points...

"Aaagh!"

Kaiji stopped, looking back towards the sound. He gasped, spotting a young boy, someone his age trapped beneath some fallen rubble from one of the buildings.

"S-Somebody!" He looked very tired, bags under his eyes, with some wild purple hair, "I think my legs broken! I can't get free!"

 _"They wouldn't let someone die during these exams right?"_ He reasoned, hesitating for a moment. His eyes darting between the boy, and the machine rolling up the street, "Dammit!"

 _"Its fine."_ Kaiji assured himself, as he raced towards the boy, _"I've got 28 points... That should be enough to at least get me in... I hope!"_

"Aaagh!" The boys gasps of pain halted, as he looked up at Kaiji, "H-Help me out of here!"

"Hang on!" He replied, taking his hand and starting to pull, earning a pained cry from the boy, "S-Sorry sorry! Uh..." He looked at the mound of rubble, all that was laying on the boy was a wooden archway, the problem was that one side was completely buried by concrete connecting to the rest of the building! And the robot was only getting-

"LOOKOUT!" Purple hair shouted, yanking on Kaiji's leg to make him fall as a 1P Bot took a swing. Narrowly missing before being blown away by the white haired boy. Kaiji watched, gasping as the explosive propelled boy blasted away Robots left and right, completely ignoring the giant! "H-Hey!" His attention immediately returning to the trapped boy, "You've gotta have a quirk that can get me out of this... Right? Hurry! That thing is almost here!"

"I-I... Right, I can, just hang on!" He stepped back, taking a deep breath and tossing aside his shirt. Kaiji clenched his fists, and his teeth tightly, "Ngh! Grr... Aaagh!" The young boy roared out, body buffing up, filling in his thin frame with muscle and nearly tearing apart his loose shorts. The transformation didn't end with muscles however, his bones were shifting and blue scales were forming all over his body. Covering most of his form while his face contorted, growing forward and forming a long muzzle. It was covered in armored plates, only tiny air holes so he could breath. His neck grew longer, legs bending while his fingers and toes grew sharp claws. A thick, powerful tail slamming the ground behind him as it grew, His back now lined with rows of sharp scales down his spine all the way up to the top of his head.

"Whoa..." Purple hair muttered as he watched.

 _"Now then..."_ Kaiji had wasted time changing, and the bot was almost on them. He quickly grabbed the archway and started to lift it. But as it began to rise, something snapped and more debris fell upon him. He raised both arms, shielding the other candidate until it ended, the stones harmlessly shattering against his tough scales. Kaiji stepped back, surveying the building, _"No good... This thing is way too unstable, if I go tearing out the wall to free this guy, he'll be crushed anyways! Which means..."_

"H-Hey! What are you doing! Where are you going!" Purple shouted, watching as Kaiji took some steps back. The massive lizard man turning and facing the machine now.

"Hey!" Purples head snapped the other way, that girl with the green vine hair was running back towards them, "Run! You have to RUN!"

Kaiji looked back at her, _"Thank goodness, with her here..."_ He couldn't speak in this form, his armored face plates sealed his mouth shut, one downside to this transformation. But, he knew she would understand, he simply pointed to the purple haired boy before taking off towards the machines base.

 _"I know I'm not strong enough to stop you... But I can at least slow you DOWN!"_

He slammed into the base of the machine, claws digging into the metal as his feet dug into the street. The slow moving machine came nearly to a stand still, as Kaiji pushed harder against it. His feet were being pushed slowly into the street, his claws sparking against the asphalt. His muscles burned as the machine kept grinding against his body.

 _"I-I've never tried my power against something this big, or heavy before!"_ He cringed in pain, daring to look back, seeing that the girl with the vines for hair had almost gotten Purple free. Using many vine constructs to support the structure while she pulled away the debris! _"They're almost out! C-Come on... Hurry hurry HURRY!"_

 **. . .**

"Oh my," The diminutive Principal chuckled as he watched for a brief moment, "Seems young Adachi at least retained some of his fathers immense strength..."

"Yes, his mother was certainly never that strong."

 **. . .**

"HE'S OUT!" Kaiji's eyes widened, the girl with vines running as she carried purple hair away from the scene, "Run!"

 _"Don't need to tell me twice!"_ Kaiji turned tail, about to use the bot to boost away when suddenly he felt a sharp pain in... His tail? Looking down, he felt himself being tugged to the ground, _"MY TAIL GOT RUN OVER!?"_ His narrowed reptilian eyes bulging out of his head as he was slowly dragged down, _"NO! Not like this!"_ He frantically struggled, but just as it was reaching the base of his back-

"TIIIIIIMES UP!"

The Robot ceased movement, and Kaiji slumped to the ground, _"I... I'm ALIVE!"_

He felt a great swell of pride in his chest, as he laid on the ground panting. Slowly reverting to his human form as he caught his breath. Only opening his eyes at the sound of footsteps, it was the Vine Girl! And she was helping Purple hair move around, "O-Oh its you two..." He said, sitting up slowly, "Your leg doing alright?"

"It hurts, but the official said the doc can heal me quick..." He answered, smirking at him, "Thanks for the help, both of you... Name's Hitoshi Shinso." He greeted.

"Oh, don't thank me, I barely did anything." Kaiji chuckled, standing up, "I'm Kaiji, Kaiji Adachi, and also, thank you for helping." He added, looking to the Vine girl.

"Oh please think nothing of it, any real hero would do the same! Just like you did!" She beamed, a real ray of sunshine smile, making both boys sweatdrop, "My name is Ibara Shiozaki, a pleasure to meet you both."

"Thank you Kaiji," Shinso nodded with a smile, "You really saved my butt, I owe you one big time."

Kaiji smiled, waving him off before the three began some idle chatter. That lasted until Recovery Girl arrived, and helped out anyone who was injured. Kaiji released a sigh of relief, knowing he had at least taken the first step. Sure, he didn't score the most Villain points, but he felt like this was the first time he got to really use his powers for something important!

And now, he had to find his friends, and celebrate!

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 **Alright first chapter done yaaaaay!**

 **Not sure if this one ran a little long... Maybe that's good? Bad? Iunno, anyways thanks for reading! Tell me what you thought!**


	2. Some Good News

**Ryan Last King: Thank you for the review :D Yeah originally I wrote the entire first chapter from the First Person point of view, so that might be how that slipped through when I rewrote it, but thanks for the critique, I'll try to be more careful in my editing. Although I should probably clarify, I do very much appreciate the praise but this isn't the first time I've written anything, just the first story I've posted on FF, so some of that praise may be undeserved heheh...**

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It was midday now, after the test everyone was told they would get results in a week or so to know how they did. So for now, the three friends were going to enjoy there day and talk about what fun, or terrors they faced in the exam.

"So then I was all like, 'Not today Giant Robot', and shredded the treads on its wheels and made it crash! Saving four people!" Kirishima boasted with a huge grin, leading the way as they walked down the street, "A few people even cheered, it was so cool!"

Kaiji rolled his eyes, chuckling a bit, "You're amazing Kirishima, now if we could just do something about that mouth..." He joked, Mina giggling as the red head turned on him.

"Oh yeah you wanna go?" He demanded with his ever burning intensity, "I'm ALL fired up! Let's spar!"

Kaiji waved him off, releasing a tired sigh, "No thanks I'm good, I'm still a little sore."

"Oh?" Kirishima blinked, his fire instantly turning to concern, or at the very least curiosity, "Yeah come to think of it, I didn't even both getting the rundown of your exam..."

"What happened?" Mina asked, poking her head over his shoulder

Kaiji shrugged, "I had an easy enough time fighting the mechs, shredding them with my claws but..." He stared down at his hands, the tips a bit swollen and red, "Shredding metal, after so many it started to wear on my hands... I'll be fine, don't worry." He assured with a smile, noticing how serious he had made it sound, "I just need to rest my hands, it should be okay! Really the thing that wore me down was slowing that giant robot!"

"Slowed? You mean you couldn't destroy it?" Kirishima asked, crossing his arms. He was well aware of the extent of Kaiji's power, more so than most of their class. Those things were certainly big, but he knew that if Kaiji really had to...

"There was another candidate trapped under a building," Kaiji explained, "I was worried, that even if I could take down that thing, it might do more harm than good while he was so close... Luckily someone else showed up! While she got him out, I managed to hold back the Bot." He said with a small smile, "I've never tried anything like that before, and it really strained my muscles, even while I was transformed I barely held it back long enough..." Kaiji opted to leave out the part where he almost got run over, not really his proudest moment of the day...

"Hey no problem, we can take it easy." Mina smiled, "No need for sparing," She shot Kirishima a look, making him laugh nervously, "Sounds like you two did great out there!"

"Oh yeah, how did your exam go?" Kaiji asked, realizing she hadn't talked a lot about it.

"Oh, mine wasn't nearly as eventful," She shrugged, "I just kinda... Walked around and melted a bunch of robots."

Kirishima cocked an eyebrow, "But how many points did you get?"

"Sixty-four."

"SIXTY-FOUR!?" Both Kaiji and Kirishima exclaimed in shock.

"B-But I only got Twenty-Eight..." The snake tongue boy muttered, crestfallen.

"Guess we know who the strongest here is." Kirishima chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head.

Mina giggled, bashfully grinning, "Oh please, I'm sure you guys just had... Tougher competitors, is all! Come on, lets hit some place for lunch and maybe head down to the river?"

"Th-The River?" Kaiji repeated, smile fading slightly.

Kirishima noticed, eyes widening a bit, "Uh... Hey the rivers so boring isn't it? Why don't we hit the arcade instead?"

"No way!" Mina argued, "I want some fresh air, plus we hardly ever go to the river!" She added, pouting.

"I mean, y-yeah because-"

"Sure," Kaiji interrupted, putting on a smile, "L-Lets go to the River, we can hang out there for today."

Kirishima looked at him, trying to hide his surprise, "Uh... Alright, sure... Hey uh, Mina why don't you head into that restaurant and get us a table, I need to ask Kaiji something, man talk, ya know?"

The pink haired girl tilted her head confused, "Uh... Okay, I guess, don't take too long!" She smiled, heading across the street to one of their favored lunch spots.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Kirishima looked to Kaiji, "You sure about this? We don't have to go... I know you're already worn out."

Kaiji's smile was gone for the moment as he stared at the ground, rubbing the back of his neck, "Eh, I'll be fine... Don't let me ruin your day-" He was just walking past Kirishima, but stopped when the red head grabbed his arm.

"Kaiji... You not having fun too will ruin my day," He said sincerely, "We're friends... You sure you don't want to tell-"

"No!" Kirishima flinched, taken off guard by his sudden burst. Though he could tell from the frightened look on Kaiji's face, he instantly regretted it, "I... I'm sorry... Maybe I should just go home..."

Kirishima released his arm, frowning at his friend with concern, "I promised I would keep your secret... So I won't say anything, but I think _you_ should. And I also think you shouldn't ditch us, come on this is supposed to be a happy day." He put on a smile, grabbing Kaiji's shoulders, "Lets get in their, eat until we puke, then make some fun, better memories at the River!"

His enthusiasm was staggering, and infectious. Kaiji's smile slowly returned and he nodded, "Y-Yeah... You're right, I need to forget about all that, thanks Kirishima."

Kirishima nodded, patting Kaiji on the back as they made their way inside the buffet...

 **. . .**

After completely stuffing themselves, the three friends were hobbling along down to the river. The sun shining over head, and the sound of Kirishima's groaning filling the air.

"Told you not to eat so much," Mina pointed out, hands behind her head as she walked, "Don't know why you have to challenge Kaiji like that whenever we go out to eat..."

"Ugh... Because I just don't understand!" He exclaimed, jabbing an accusing finger at his reptilian friend, "He eats more than his entire body weight in food, and he still looks like a twig!"

Kaiji blinked, snake tongue sticking out for a moment, "I mean to be fair, I don't weigh that much..."

"MISSING THE POINT!"

Both Kaiji and Mina laughed as he fumed.

"You know, he isn't wrong, you can put away a lot, and you never seem to bulk up!" Mina noted, as their laughter died down.

"Yeah, my Dad said it's probably because most of what I eat fuels my transformation." He shrugged, "I usually do get really hungry after I change, and I can't seem to put on muscle myself, but when I change my other form get's pretty strong." Kaiji chuckled.

"That is so weird," Kirishima sighed, thinking it over in his head, "It's like, you're eating for your other form... Which I guess makes sense because of that whole no mouth thing..."

"That's the worst part about it," Kaiji shook his head, hands stuffed in his pockets as they neared the river, "I can't talk when I change, I'm worried if I do become a hero I might scare people using my power, and yet in this form my quirk is significantly weaker."

"Hey, we're gonna be a team!" Mina cut in, beaming as per usual, "You let me do the talking, you two can do all the big strong guy stuff!"

Both Kirishima and Kaiji blushed and chuckled, bashfully rubbing the back of their necks, "Thanks Ashido," Kaiji said with a smile, "I'm sure we'll do great." He stopped, as they rounded the corner and now stood with the river edge in full view. A simple, familiar place, with a few benches and a covered pavilion a little closer to the road for when it rained.

 _"Come on... Just forget about it, and move forward."_ He told himself, but his legs seemed frozen in place. He clenched his eyes shut for a moment, trying to shake it off. But the moment they closed he saw it again, hearing the voices.

 _"Leave my friends ALONE! You big ugly MONSTER!"_

 _"Don't go any closer! Get back!"_

"Hey!" Kaiji nearly jumped, eyes darting to Kirishima, and the hand he'd placed on his shoulders, "You good?"

"I-" He stopped, looking to see that Mina had missed his episode, already running to the benches to kick back and relax, "I'm fine..." Shrugging off Kirishima, he made his way towards the benches as well.

The red haired boy sighed, shaking his head before following.

"Aaah~" Mina sighed contently, leaning back in her seat on the bench, "I love the river this time of year... Sure it's no Beach, but its so quiet and peaceful."

"Yeah, it is nice..." Kaiji replied, sitting down beside her, though his eyes were fixated on the ground. Trying to ignore the thoughts gnawing at the edge of his mind.

Kirishima was still standing, watching the two with closely for a moment. He could tell, that despite their talk Kaiji was still thinking about it. He narrowed his eyes, _"I have to do something, Kaiji doesn't deserve this."_ Opening his mouth, he began to say something when he was interrupted by a buzzing sound.

"Oh, sorry that's me." Mina laughed nervously, pulling out her phone and answering it, "Hey Mom! Oh, dinner plans? Dad's back in town! Awesome I'll be right home!" She beamed, hanging up, jumping up from her seat, "Sorry guys, my Dad's back in town, we're all gonna go out I've gotta go!"

Kaiji blinked, turning attention to her, "Hasn't your dad been out of town for a few months?"

"Yeah!" She grinned, "The Agency he works for is far up north, so he only stops by every few months to stay for a week or so before getting back to work! Oh I can't wait to tell him how good I did! See ya later guys!" She waved as she ran off, leaving the two alone along the river.

As the silence settled in, only being broken by the sounds of the water, Kirishima sighed heavily, "You've gotta tell her..."

"And what would I say huh?" Kaiji asked sharply, glaring at Kirishima, "Oh hey Mina, sorry I traumatized you, but we're cool right?"

"Kaiji-"

"No," He cut him off, "I proved today I don't it to survive as a hero, I can forget all about that power! And... And I don't have to worry about scaring Mi- anyone... Ever again." He lowered his head, stuffing his hands in his pockets and walking off, "I'm heading home, see you later Kirishima."

"See you around, Kaiji..."

 **. . .**

 **One Week Later**

 **. . .**

Kaiji was just getting home from training, stopping to check the mailbox as he passed. Blinking as he spotted a letter inside labeled with a special stamp. His stomach twisting into knots, he swallowed nervously and pulled it out. Before walking inside, kicking off his shoes and heading into the kitchen.

"I-It's here Dad!" He called out, instantly hearing a thud and crash from down the hall. Kaiji grinned, knowing he had probably startled him in his study.

"It's here!?" His voice sounded back, the door to his study sliding open as the middle aged man wheeled himself out as fast as he could, "O-Open it open it!" He demanded, sliding to a stop by the table.

Kaiji nodded, though he was hesitant as he sat down. He didn't bother being careful, forming a few claws he tore open the envelope. Watching a piece of paper and a small disk shaped object fall out onto the table. Both Kaiji and his father watched it for a moment, blinking in confusion...

Before suddenly, the object erupted with light. An image shining on the nearby wall, "HELLO IT'S ME HERE AS A PROJECTION!"

"AAAGH!" Both Kaiji and his father cried at the sudden shouting, taken completely by surprise by the face of All Might.

"A-All Might?" Kaiji muttered, settling down and looking at the image in confusion.

"That's right! I'm here to give you the results of your Exam, and tell you if you've got what it takes to make it into the UA!" He said with a hearty laugh, "And to inform you, that I'll be joining the UA as a teacher starting this year!"

"Whoa... That's so cool!" Kaiji muttered excitedly.

His father sweatdropped, _"I see he hasn't changed one bit..."_

"Young Adachi, on the exam you scored average, racking up Twenty-Eight Villain points... This alone, unfortunately, is NOT enough to get into the UA."

Kaiji felt his heart begin to sink, his smile turning to a frown quickly.

"However! There were factors you as a candidate, were not made aware of!" He continued, Kaiji tilting his head in confusion, as a screen beside All Might started showing his attempts to free the purple haired boy. "You see, during these exams, we offer extra points, given to those who willingly sacrifice, or risk themselves to help others! You had no reason to believe you would be rewarded for helping young Shinso... And for that! You have been awarded, an extra twenty-five Rescue Points!"

Kaiji felt his face beginning to light up, "D-Does that mean..."

"That's RIGHT! With those added points, you've got enough to Make it into the UA! So it is with great honor, Kaiji Adachi, that I WELCOME YOU! To the Hero Academia!"

Kaiji jumped for joy, right out of his seat, "YES! I made it!" he beamed, hugging his father tightly and lifting him right out of his wheelchair as he laughed, "I get to be a hero!"

"Haha! Now don't get ahead of yourself," His father laughed, patting him on the back, "You've certainly taken the first step, but there is a loooong way to go!"

"I know I know," Kaiji set him down carefully, wiping his eyes, "Thank you Dad, for everything... I'm gonna go call Mina, and Kirishima to tell them the good news!" He beamed, running off to his room.

His father remained there, sighing with a content smile as he looked over a few of the additional papers that had came with it. Registration forms for costumes, some emergency info, the usual. Then he looked back up at All Mights big stupid grin, finding himself smiling a little brighter too, "Thank you... He needs this more than anything..."

* * *

 **Alright enough brooding for awhile lol don't need that every chapter, just enough for exposition ;3**


	3. Fitness Test

**VictorsmyName : Thanks for the review and I know what you mean lol But don't worry, the backstory isn't really "Tragic" just a kid making a stupid mistake and beating himself up over it really, I tried to avoid heavy angst and any whiny stuff will be gone by the USJ. As for following the story, things will remain relatively "Vanilla" until the Sports Festival, I've got plenty of curveballs along the way. I definitely understand the concern, and I appreciate the faith in me :D I'll try not to disappoint, you need only hold out until the Festival for the real big stuff to begin! The vanilla early stages are mostly just to get to know the character, and build his relationships with the Canon characters. **

**For all readers, I'm am also eager to get to the better stuff, which is why I've gotten far ahead of myself while on my week off. I've already finished everything leading up to the festival. To give you an Idea I've just finished chapter 11 last night, and the USJ ends on chapter 8, 9 if you count the aftermath.**

 **Hopefully that doesn't raise any red flags, yeah I've already written a huge amount but things are still subject to change if I'm feeling it! If you have anything you'd like the see different, have ideas or thoughts please let me know!**

 **And I'll be releasing chapters Daily so don't forget to check back in :D I'll be uploading every morning once I get up and edit lol**

 **Anyways, enough talking LET US CONTINUE!**

* * *

"So, here we are..."

"We walk through that gate, and we begin our hero training..."

"Well don't just stand there slack jawed!" Kirishima put a hand on both Ashido's and Kaiji's back, "LETS GOOOOO!" Shoving them through into the yard between the gates and the doors inside, despite their protesting.

Today was the day, after three weeks of waiting, the first day of class at UA. All their training had finally paid off, and they were going to start the real work. All three were accepted into the Hero Course, and even better they were all in class 1-A. The trio of friends would be able to continue on together, something they were all happy about.

As they passed through the doors, and into the well kept school they took in the sights. Soaking in every second, as they made their way towards the classroom. As they neared the entrance, Kirishima blinked, spotting a familiar head with glasses.

"Hey! Aren't you the guy who stood up during the briefing for the practical exam?" He asked rather bluntly.

"Hmm?" The taller boy blinked, looking at them, "Why yes, I am the one who ascertained that vital information... My name is Tenya Iida, I take it you will be my class mates as well?"

"That's right," Mina grinned up at him, "I'm Mina Ashido, this is Eijiro Kirishima, and Kaiji Adachi!" She introduced, while Kaiji just waved.

"A pleasure," Iida answered, bowing his head, "Though you seem to already know each other, based on your demeanor this can't be your first time together."

"That's right," Kaiji replied, finally chiming in, "We all come from the same school, we've been friends since we were kids."

"How fortunate, you all must be quite skilled and quite lucky!" Iida exclaimed with a polite smile, "Though, I feel I must warn you that this is not a place to pal around, we are all here to learn so try your best not to disturb-"

"Move it four eyes!" Kaiji recognized that voice, as Iida was shoved out of the way of the door by the white haired boy from the Practical Exam.

"Agh! H-How rude!" Iida gasped, turning on the boy as he walked into the classroom, barking at him about manners and following. Seeming to completely forget about the three of them.

"Let's uh... Find our seats." Kirishima finally said, and the three confused students made their way inside.

They had all been assigned seats, which meant they were spread out a bit. But Kaiji was relieved to find he had a seat by the window, letting him sit in the sun. A quirk of his uh... Quirk, was a desire to nap in the sunlight. Though he was beginning to wonder if that might be detrimental to his school skills.

"Ahem."

"Huh?" He blinked, looking up at the bird faced individual, managing to hide his surprise at the sudden appearance of him. His raven black head with piercing red eyes were quite intimidating, "What's up?"

"You're in my seat." He said simply showing him the paper with his seating number on it.

"What? But that doesn't make sense, this is seat B-" Kaiji stopped, seeing as he had read his number wrong, "Ugh, sorry about that." He sighed, standing up, "I'm a seat back."

"Hmm, yes, in the shade." Birdface said, looking at the seat behind Kaiji. It was the furthest back, and a Tree outside the window kept it deep in the shade, "Mind if I ask you a favor?"

"A favor?" Kaiji repeated, his eyes drifting for a moment. He could see Ashido and Eijiro were already chatting up people around their desks, making friends quickly as they always did. _"I guess I should try to do the same..."_ He reasoned, before nodding, "Uh sure, what do you need?"

"Mind trading seats?" He asked simply, "I prefer... Less, sunlight, and since your stuff is already there..."

"Oh sure, no problem," Kaiji smiled, nodding his head, "I actually prefer the sunlight too, so this works out!"

"Excellent, I appreciate it." He said, walking by and placing his bag beside the desk, "My name is Fumikage Tokoyami." He added, extending a hand.

Kaiji met him with his own, shaking hands with a smile, "Kaiji Adachi, nice to meet you."

 **. . .**

Only a few minutes after meeting their teacher, this strange Mr. Aizawa, the entire class was being hustled outside after changing into some athletic gear. He wanted to test their Quirks, get them more used to them in daily life. See if they could enhance their usual actions, more so than they ever had the chance to in school before! Unfortunately, there was a catch.

"Wait what!?" Someone exclaimed, "Expulsion! You can't do that!"

"I get to decide how this class is run," Aizawa replied sharply, brushing back hair from his eyes, a twisted grin on his face, "If that's a problem you can head home right now!"

Kaiji bit his tongue, not wanting to draw the mans attention. But as his own eyes scanned the others, he could tell they didn't see this as a warning, they saw his threat as a challenge. Maybe that's what he needed to start seeing them as too, he could already tell the fire in Kirishima's eyes was lit by the chance they were being given.

"Hey wait a minute!" A young girl cried out, Kaiji had heard her talking to that green haired boy. Her name was Uraraka, "On the first day? Doesn't matter how we do you can't just send us home that isn't fair!"

"And you think natural disasters are?" Aizawa answered her sharply, "Or what about power hungry villains? Or disaster events that wipe out entire cities? The world is full of unfairness, as heroes you have to learn to combat that unfairness..." He looked across their faces, a predatory glance that was already picking out the weakest of the teams, "Now then, that's enough talking! Let the games begin..." He finished, with no small amount of amusement in his voice.

 _ **50 Meter Dash!**_

Kaiji watched as the others displayed their abilities one after another. Using whatever they could to move faster, that Iida guy was blazing, his engine legs blowing everyone else out of the water without a doubt. As the turns were going, Ashido approached Kaiji, noticing he hadn't transformed yet.

"Oh," He chuckled when she brought it up, "Well, I figured that form packs on so much muscle I may be better off staying normal for light wait... I did have an idea though," He smirked as his number was closing in. He kicked off his shoes, scales forming along his feet as well as claws from his toes, "I think I can myself a little extra traction..."

Moments later, he was stepping up, "GO!" The machine called.

Kaiji took off as fast as he could, panting already as he raced against the big guy with six arms. The big guy was fast, but Kaiji could tell he wasn't built for quickness. He was lagging behind, while Kaiji wasn't even sprinting. After getting a good foothold with his claws, he was leaping further with every step, building momentum until he finally flew across the line.

"5.46 seconds! 6.53 Seconds!"

 _"Okay... Not anything phenomenal, good enough to keep me in, but the strength tests are where I can shine."_ He assured himself, remembering how he stopped that big machine, the memory solidifying his confidence.

 ** _Grip Strength Test!_**

"Th-That's amazing!" The green haired boy, Midoriya exclaimed, as he, Uraraka and Fumikage watched Kaiji's transformation, "You're like an entirely different person! Those scales look strong! Can that tale help you swim? How strong is it?"

"Uh, Midoriya!" Kirishima interrupted his nerdsplosion, "He can't really talk in this form," He chuckled, crossing his arms.

"Oh... Really?" He blinked, looking up at him.

Kaiji nodded, tapping the armored plating over his face. Before he finally picked up the grip testers, and clenched it as hard as he could without breaking it though he was sure these things were meant to take a beating. He held it for a moment, before releasing as the numbers stopped moving.

"Whoa Kaiji, 497 kilograms!" Kirishima exclaimed, "Aww man, I only hit 300 with my grip..." He groaned, though his grin returned as Kaiji patted him on the back.

 ** _Standing Long Jump!_**

Nothing too difficult for Kaiji, though his extra weight in his changed form was a hindrance, he made up for it by boosting off not only his strong legs but his mighty tail as well. Hitting the sands just short of the far end, landing him in the top ten scores for that round at least.

 **. . .**

As the tests continued, All Might was looking over some of their dossiers with a few others in the staff room as well. Most of them were interesting, definitely a promising year for new students. Especially those that got in through recommendation, but another caught his eye briefly, stopping on a page.

"So, this is Colossus' boy eh?" He questioned out loud, reading down his page, "Mmm, says here he doesn't seem to have any of his fathers power aside from minor regeneration... Seems to lean closer to what his mother was capable of," He noted, remembering the debacle between them years ago. Shaking it off and chuckling, "This kid... He'll go far if he has the right drive."

 _ **Ball Throw!**_

"INFINITY!?" The entire class exclaimed, watching as Uraraka's ball just kept going and going, her gravity powers meaning it never really had to come down.

"That's insane... I only got One-Fifty, and even Kaiji with his brute strength only ended up with Five Hundred and Eighty!" Mina exclaimed in awe, Kirishima and Kaiji standing beside her.

"Amazing, some of these other quirks are super awesome!" Kirishima beamed.

"Yeah, who's up last?" Mina asked, blinking as Midoriya stepped up, "Oh, its him... I don't think I've seen him use his Quirk yet, have you guys?"

"Nope." Kirishima shook his head, "I don't think so... I wonder what it is?"

"Tch, Deku is just a quirkless loser." Bakugo scoffed, arms crossed as he watched, "He's never had a quirk."

"Yes he does," Iida argued, "I watched it in the Practical Exam, he blew away that giant mech with just a single punch!"

 _"What!?"_ Kaiji went wide eyed, remembering that big bastard as the others kept talking about it, _"It took so much just to slow that thing down... And this guy wrecked one with a single punch!?"_

His eyes returned to the boy. He looked so... Average, it seemed impossible that someone like him could have that kind of power. Kaiji shook it off, and waited, watching as he cocked back his arm ready to throw. But just as he was tossing the ball, something seemed off. And Mr. Aizawa made a move.

"46 meters!" Average, at best.

"Wh-What happened?" Midoriya questioned, looking at his hand, "I... I was trying to use it just now..."

"I erased your Quirk." Aizawa said sharply, his scarf unfolding seemingly on its own. Hair lifting, and eyes glowing red, "The judges of the entrance exam were not rational... Someone like you should never be allowed to enroll at this school."

Kaiji watched, not understanding why Mr. Aizawa seemed so angered at the moment.

"W-Wait... You did what to my- Ngh!" Midoriya's words hitched, recognizing the unkempt man as he looked at the goggles around his neck, "I-I know you! Those Goggles... You're Eraser Head! You can look at someone and erase their powers... The Erasure Hero..."

"Eraser... Head?" Someone repeated.

"I've never heard of that guy before." Mina chimed in.

"I think I have," The frog girl added, "He usually works on the down low, _ribbit,_ I think."

"You're not ready, you don't have control over your power." Aizawa continued, the rest straining to hear, "What were you planning to do? Break your bones again? Counting on someone else to save your useless body?"

"N-No! That's not what I-" Midoriya was cut off as he was ensnared by Aizawa's moving bands, the strips pulling him closer to the teacher.

Pulled in close, the rest of the students could hardly hear, "This sucks... I wanna know what they're saying!" Kirishima groaned, "What about you Kaiji? You hear anything?"

 _"I'm a reptile not a fox you ass I don't have super hearing..."_ He thought, rolling his eyes at his friend.

"Guess that means no..." He sighed.

Kaiji crossed his arms, his sharp eyes fixated on Midoriya as he thought over what the instructor had said. And what he'd heard from Iida, _"Destroyed one of those giants with a single punch... Breaking your bones "again"? Is it possible this simple looking kid has some incredible power that comes with a drawback? It would make sense... The only hero I could ever imagine flattening one of those metal monsters with a single blow is All Might... But if that's the case, what is he going to do?"_

Mina started poking Kaiji's arm, "Uh... Kaiji? You in there?"

"Heh, don't bother Ashido," Kirishima chuckled, pointing to his face, "See those pupils? When they turn to slits he's focusing, he probably doesn't even notice us right now, watch." Kirishima made his finger harder and sharper, and began poking his hard scales as well, earning no response.

"Yeesh he's like a machine, it's kinda funny..." Frog girl said, poking him as well, "Hey? Big guy?"

 _"I guess maybe it was silly to think I'd be the only one here with work to do in controlling my abilities... But even then I've never had backlash like what they are talking about, I guess my regeneration is to thank for that but... I've never pushed my body that hard."_ Kaiji's eyes returned to normal, and he blinked, looking down to see three people standing before him, poking him. He facepalmed, the others laughing lightly, _"And I thought my friends would be the only idiots in this class..."_

But their amusement vanished in an instant, as Midoriya took his throwing stance. Everyone fell silent, eager to see what he would do. Cocking back his arm, he began the pitch, aiming high at an angle. Everyone watched closely looking for a sign of his ability, "SmmmmmmAAAAAAASH!"

It went off like a crack of thunder, a gust of wind unleashed as the ball went flying at a speed Kaiji could barely follow! His eyes darted up, spotting the orb rising higher and higher at incredible speed, before beginning to plummet.

 _"Amazing! So much power in such a tiny-"_ His eyes landed on Midoriya's finger, the skin purple, the bone possibly broken. The boy's face itself contorted in restrained pain as he shot a confident look at their instructor, "Mr. Aizawa... S-See? I'm still standing!"

"Nice job Midoriya!"

"Wooo!"

"That was AWESOME!"

Kaiji watched with an internal smile, glad he'd gotten at least one massive score. Really, he hoped nobody had to go home, but it seemed like Midoriya was willing to push himself harder than anyone to stay here. The reptilian man clenched his fists tightly, watching him return to his friends, _"I hope I can find resolve like that..."_

 **. . .**

Things were calming down after the practice, everyone happy that no one was getting sent home. A dirty trick by Mr. Aizawa, but it seemed effective at making everyone do their best. Kaiji was just getting ready to head for the cafeteria when Mr. Aizawa appeared, blocking him from leaving.

"Adachi," He said simply, "You and I need to talk."

Kaiji swallowed nervously, "Wh-What about sir?"

He beckoned him with one hand, leading him to another room. One students might not have been allowed in normally, it looked like sound kind of lounge, probably just for the teachers. As they stepped in, Aizawa shut the door and turned on him with that empty, yet menacing stare.

"I told you to go all out today, didn't I?" He asked bluntly.

"I-I..." Kaiji stammered, _"Is... Is it really that obvious to the Pros?"_

"I know about your Mother and Father," Aizawa added before Kaiji could continue, "And I know there is more to you than some scales and a lot of muscle... So I'll ask simply, why were you holding back?"

Kaiji was sweating, he swallowed nervously, "I... I guess it's just that, I don't trust myself with more power... I already screwed it up once, and I can't-"

"If you can't trust yourself, than how do you expect your comrades too?" Aizawa interrupted sharply, "Or the people you're going to try and save? You're either gonna learn to use that power, or you're just going to be a ticking time bomb, its dangerous to have that kind of pent up energy."

"I-I... Yeah, I guess you're right," Kaiji sighed in defeat, "I'm scared to use it... I don't think I'm ready."

"No, you're not," Aizawa replied, leaning back a bit casually, "But, unless you start using it, you never will be ready... I've gone over your files, what you've listed as a Quirk pales in comparison to what you might really be able to do, so get it together and get control."

Kaiji nodded slowly, taking a deep breath, "I understand... Thank you Mr. Aizawa."

"You can thank me by doing better, I know you're capable of it, so don't let me down."

* * *

 **Hopefully I didn't miss anything in editing... Kind of an early morning following a late night so I'm a little loopy XD**


	4. Combat Training

**Strap in for a long one! This one went through a lot of rewrites, and by that I mean like three... Anyways, hope you enjoy! And let me know about mistakes in editing and I can easily fix them :D**

* * *

After the first day, and Mr. Aizawa's trick, Kaiji and his friends were cautiously eager for more. And when they returned the next day, they were somewhat happy it opened up with a simple grammar course, despite how boring it was...

After first period, they met up in the cafeteria, great food that was pretty cheap! And prepared by a well known Hero, who also happened to be a master chef! Kaiji had a feeling they'd be seeing many notable heroes over the course of their time here.

Once lunch was finished, they were waiting in their classroom for the first _real_ day of hero training!

They were chatting idly, waiting for the instructor to appear, when suddenly...

"IIIIIIII-"

"Does... Anybody hear-"

"IIIII AM HERE!" The door burst open, all eyes turning to the muscular form of legendary hero, All Might, "COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A HERO!"

"Whoa it's really him!" Faces lighting up with excitement.

"All Might!"

"So he is a teacher at this school..." Kaiji muttered, watching as he stepped further inside, approaching the podium.

"Isn't that the Silver Age costume?" Asui pointed out.

Kirishima clenched his fists excitedly, practically bouncing around in his seat, "That is so cool!"

"Welcome to the most important class at UA High!" All Might began, standing before the podium with his fists on his hips. Looking as heroic as ever, "Think of it as Heroing 101! HERE you will learn the basics of being a Pro! And what it means to fight in the name of GOOD! Nooow lets get into it! TODAYS LESSON!" He turned quickly, thrusting forward a card with big bold print on it, "Will PULL NO PUNCHES!"

 _"Battle..."_ Kaiji blinked in surprise, "So combat training, I guess this had to come sooner or later..."

"But! One of the keys of being of a hero iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis~" He turned right, jabbing a mighty finger at the wall as slots began to open, "LOOKING GOOD!"

"No way..." Kaiji muttered, remembering those forms he filled out. He didn't really expect anything so soon! "Costumes!?"

The class was already cheering, and everyone scrambled for their suits. More than ready to follow All Might out to the training fields and show what they were made of!

"Alright, here we go." Kaiji nodded with determination, holding the case that contained his suit, "Today the training really begins!"

 **. . .**

The boys and girls changed in separate rooms, for obvious reasons, just outside one of the fake cities they had fought in during the entrance exam. Inside the boys room, Kaiji was looking at his costume with excitement, and hesitation. It was everything he'd asked for, though looking at it now he could see a few changes... Either way, this was more than enough for him.

He began slipping it on after putting his normal school clothes in a locker. The suit was made up of only a few parts. A special fabric made up a pair of baggy black shorts and a tank top shirt. The fabric was meant to hug his form tight around his waist and his torso, but also grow with him just like the suit Mt. Lady wears. Then, came the bracers. Hardened, reinforced Jade green steel bands, the guards going up to his elbows to give him more protection during battle.

Of course, he already had his scales for armor. But, he considered these more a first line of defense. There were also guards on his shins, but aside from that his feet remained bare. Once it was all finished, his clenched his fists tightly, testing the weight of the new armor. The young boy smirked, satisfied with the results.

"Alright you look awesome Kaiji," Kirishima said, stepping up behind him, the fiery red head having also just finished suiting up, "Super tough!"

Kaiji chuckled, nervously laughing at the appraisal, "Thanks, you're suit looks awesome too!" He replied, rolling his shoulders trying to get used to the added weight, "Lets get out there and show what we're made of."

Kirishima nodded, and together they stepped out of the changing area to join the others. Most of whom were gushing over their costumes in excitement.

"Heeeey guys!" Kirishima and Kaiji turned at the familiar voice, eyes widening as they laid upon on Ashido in her new costume, "What do you think?"

 _"Woah..."_ Kaiji's face was flushed red, terribly noticeable thanks to his pale skin.

"You look good, a little too colorful for my taste buuuut..." Kirishima nudged Kaiji with his elbow. The helpless boy trying desperately to stop his nosebleed, "I think Kaiji likes it!"

"Ah hahah, y-yeah it looks great!" Kaiji replied nervously, shooting Kirishima a death stare, "I _will end you for that Kirishima!"_

"Thanks Kaiji~" Mina giggled playfully, "I thought it might be a bit much, but you know me." She shrugged, "Always been a bit of a free spirit, yours look great too!"

"Heh, th-thanks..." Kaiji replied, nose still running a bit as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck, _"If there is a god, he has blessed me... Now stop staring you idiot!"_

 **. . .**

The Start of the testing was brutal, the first match between Iida and Bakugo against Midoriya and Uraraka gave everyone a real show of how intense this could get. Though, none really believed things would get as serious in other matches, nothing would ever be as serious as Bakugo when he was mad. But everyone was certainly fired up.

However, as the testing went on and names were called left and right, Kaiji realized something. The matches were all going Two Versus Two, and yet they had twenty one students. Either somebody was being left out, or someone was getting different training.

Fortunately, it was neither of those.

"And now! For our LAST MATCH! We have a special event!" All Might began, the fiery excitement of the students not dying down. Nobody had gotten as beaten as Midoriya did in the first round, so they were all watching with intensity, "The Villain team will be! Rikido Sato! And Koji Koda! VS! Mina Ashido, Yuga Aoyama! And Kaiji Adachi as the Heroes!"

"Alright!" Kirishima fist pumped, "That sounds- Wait..."

"What?" Entire class asked in confusion.

For a brief moment, Kaiji could have sworn that All Might's posture faltered, clearly not expecting the reaction of confusion. He looked across at his other two team mates. He was working with Belly Button Laser, and Acid. After shooting a look at their opponents, he was beginning to understand...

"You see kids!" All Might cleared his throat loudly, restoring order as everyone quieted down, "With our uneven number, I was forced to slightly modify our final round... In my original drawing, it was the same villain team, versus only Ashido and Aoyama... Now, can anyone tell me why this match up would be both unfavorable, and unfair?"

Momo stepped forward, answering with ease before anyone else could even think, "Because from what I've seen from earlier training, both Ashido and Aoyama are specialist hero types, not meant for direct combat... Whereas both Sato and Koda are, for lack of a better word, bruisers!" She explained, "With them having the advantage of position, strength and melee prowess, the Hero team would be at a criminal disadvantage."

"But even then, the training isn't support to be fair," Todoroki chimed in, arms crossed, "Heroes can't always fight villains on an even playing field, so why the handicap?"

"Why... TO MAKE SURE YOUNG KAIJI WAS NOT LEFT OUT OF COURSE!" All Might laughed boisterously, hands on his hips, though his confidence was betrayed by the bit of sweat running down his face. "But do not fret! I have had a special something brought in to help even the odds form team VILLAINY! Teams! Report to the battle site and prepare!"

Kaiji sweatdropped, _"I have a strange feeling he just miscounted students when preparing this test..."_

 **. . .**

"Hey, I don't think we've been properly introduced, I'm Kaiji." The young boy greeted with a smile, deciding to take the few minutes they had to get properly introduced.

"Yuga Aoyama." He answered with a smile and an exaggerated bow, "What do you think of my shimmering cape~?" He asked, waving around the sparking fabric.

Kaiji blinked, "Uh... It's nice, I guess..."

"Please don't encourage him," Mina rolled her eyes, "So! Strategy!" Ashido exclaimed suddenly, startling both of them, "We gotta get to that fake bomb, I seriously doubt they will try give us a chance to use our numbers against them... Especially since the only one that can handle them in close combat would be, well you Kaiji." She noted.

"Right," He nodded, "I'll change once we figure out a plan... But our best bet may be to take them head on."

"Head on?" Yuga repeated, "Oh no no no I can't do that! I might scuff my beautiful armor!"

"You don't need to get in close," Kaiji argued, "I'll get in, and try to draw them to me... You two can support from afar, or make a dash for the bomb," He explained, "Remember, we only have Fifteen minutes, so we've gotta get through them fast..."

Ashido grinned, fist pumping, "Never knew you were one to take charge Kaiji," She teased, "I trust you, always have, I know we can do this!"

A twinge of guilt in his chest as he blushed a little, "Th-Thanks I... I don't know, I guess I'm just anxious and can't stop talking, oh that's right, once I change I won't be able to speak, Yuga... So listen to Mina." He instructed, facepalming as he noticed Aoyama playing with his cape. Deciding not to bother, and began changing form. Growing into his full reptilian form. He gripped the bracers on each arm, testing them out and nodding his head, a perfect fit even in this form.

"Heroes BEGIN!" The sound came from over the speakers.

With the doors unlocked, Kaiji lead the way. Charging inside, the trio started searching for the stairs. Kaiji was occasionally flicking out his tongue, tasting the air and following the trail they had taken indoors, _"Its so faint, its harder to follow the scent when my mouth is stuck behind this armor, but even then I- Wait, why do I taste sugar?"_ He wondered, before shaking it off. Whatever that scent was, it had to be one of them.

"They're skipping so much, how can they be sure they aren't on the floors that are being passed?" Asui questioned, "Seems reckless..."

"Heh, you're wrong." Kirishima grinned, arms crossed as he watched, "Kaiji's tongue is like a powerful sensory gland, he is tasting the air, smelling out Sato and Koda... He's ignoring the floors they're not on because he can tell where the strongest scent is coming from!"

Asui blinked, eyes turning back to the screen, "That's cool, _ribbit_..."

Kaiji was just rounding another edge of the stairs, he could taste the scent stronger up here. They must be close! He wasn't sure how many floors were left but-

"Watchout!" Kaiji went wide eyed, turning his head slowly just in time to see a mighty fist from the yellow suited Sato swinging in full force.

"Ooooh!" The entire crowd of observing students winced as Kaiji was decked, laid out flat on his back by the punch.

"Ha!" Sato grinned, reaching down and picking up Kaiji by the neck, "That was easy..."

"Get him!"

"Agh!" Sato yelped, stumbling back as a bright blue laser blasted his hand, making him drop Kaiji, "Oh crap, all three of you came up here? How did you know- Uh, Koda we've got a problem!" he called over his comm, turning and running out the door into the floor.

Kaiji groaned, sitting up as Ashido knelt down beside him, _"Ugh... He hits like a truck."_

"Are you alright?" She asked, putting a hand on his chest.

"Hng!" His breath hitched, glad the armor plating covered most of his face. He simply nodded, and shook it off as got back up, _"They've gotta be on this floor, this is where the scent is strongest!"_

He kicked the door right off its hinges, stepping into the hall.

"Get ready Koda!" Sato called out from one end, on the other side Koda was preparing as well. They were trapped between the two of them, and Sato was quickly scarfing down some kind of snacks he'd brought. Seeming to get charged with energy, grinning wildly. He slammed his fists down on the floor, before the three heroes could react. The ground beneath them was starting to crumble, falling away to the floor below and taking out some of the staircase as well!

Kaiji acted fast, tail wrapping around Ashido's waist as he grabbed a hold of the wall with his claws. He looked back at her, the two sharing a nod before looking down to check on Aoyama. He was a bit busy, sitting in a pile of rubble nursing his ruined cape.

The remaining heroes rolled their eyes simultaneously, "Yuga! Search the lower floors for the bomb!" Mina shouted, before Kaiji pulled back a fist and struck the wall over and over. Knocking a hole in it, big enough for him to jump in through so they weren't between Sato and Koda anymore.

"Go now..." Kaiji faintly heard the soft voice of what he had to assume was Koda. But who was he talking to? For now he shook it off, focusing on their situation. But as he tried to, something was gnawing at his mind.

 _"I trust you, always have."_

He shook his head, trying to shake it off, _"Come on, now is not the time for this."_

"So what now?" Ashido asked suddenly, keeping her eyes on the door, "You're sure the bomb is on this floor?"

 _"No, I'm not... There's still one floor up, this is just where their scent was the strongest."_ He frowned, shaking his head before shrugging. This place seemed like the most likely, but he couldn't be sure.

"Hey I think they're in here!" Sato called out, his voice coming from close outside the rooms door. "Come on! Lets capture them quick!"

Kaiji rolled his shoulders and looked down at Ashido, nodding to her as he punched his palm into his open fist, then pointed to himself.

"You'll take Sato?" She asked for confirmation, earning a nod in response, "Are you sure? I don't wanna be rude but he did just lay you out with one punch, and if you get caught it'll be just me and Yuga separated from one another."

 _"I won't get caught."_ His eyes said it all, as he offered her a fist, just like the day of their first Exam.

"Right!" Ashido grinned, bumping fists with him, "Kick some butt, and don't you dare get caught!"

 _"Can I really do this on my own?"_ He wondered, eyes turning to the door as the footsteps grew louder, _"I've never been in a real fight... I've never had to fight someone with physical power like Sato has, those two laid waste to the entire hall floor! And I'm gonna take them both head on?"_ An image of Midoriya clutching his ruined arm at the end of the first round flashed through his mind. His resolve steeled, and he clenched his fists, _"It doesn't matter if I am strong enough, I have to buy her time! Buy them BOTH Time to finish this!"_

A loud crash came as Sato broke the door off it's hinges. Only to be met with Kaiji's fist as he charged, striking the large teen in the center of the face. The blow making him stumble back, as the reptilian warrior attacked. Sato recovered quickly however, throwing a powerful uppercut that might have seriously hurt a normal person. The blow nearly knocked Kaiji right off his feet, he'd never been hit so hard in his life! That punch was way stronger than the one that had laid him out before! And it was followed up by the weight of Koda landing on his back!

The boy wrapped his burly arms around Kaiji, attempting to restrain him, he felt like he was being crushed. Kaiji threw his head back, banging into Koda's face hard and making him let go for the moment. Only for Kaiji to be slammed in the stomach by Sato, something snapping on impact. The lizard man doubling over as the wind was knocked out of him. Before Sato could follow up however, Kaiji turned fast, slamming him into the wall with his tail and putting him right through it, leaving the big guy dazed.

He turned just in time to catch Koda's fist with both hands, the shy boy going wide eyed before Kaiji yanked him forward. The two banging heads together before both stumbled back, gripping their heads.

"Aaah ow ow ow ow!" Koda whimpered, rubbing his strangely shaped head.

 _"Gah that smarts!"_ Kaiji winced, gripping his head, _"Right, no more_ of _that, nobody wins with a headbutt..."_

Luckily, in the confusion, Ashido had slipped away passed Koda, making a mad dash to search every room for the bomb. And with Yuga searching down below, Kaiji just needed to keep their attention on him. He pressed his advantage against the injured Koda, wrapping him up with his tail and quickly applying the capture tape from his belt. Tying him up tight and tossing him into an empty room. The boy didn't resist much, his head now sporting an unsightly bump from the impact with Kaiji's hard scales, guess he wasn't as durable as Kaiji originally thought...

He stepped out into the hall, wincing in pain as he gripped his ribs, "Grr... _D-Dammit, that punch earlier must have broke something... My regeneration is draining my stamina, I need to end this fast or I'll be captured."_

Kaiji stepped back out into the hall, looking to find Sato. The big guy having just recovered from that tail swipe, the two locked eyes.

"This is gonna be good." Kirishima said with a grin.

"I've got money on Sato."

"I'd take that bet, Sato is a real beast!"

"No way! Kaiji has got this! I'll put One Hundred on lizard lips!"

"Yeah right that snake is gonna get squashed!"

"GAMBLING IS NOT HEROIC!" All Might shouted over them.

"HRAAAGH!" Sato roared as he charged, Kaiji launching himself forward as well. The two cocking back their fists as they closed in, and throwing their punches at the same time. The two brutes slamming each other right across the jaw.

They staggered back, barely staying up as they threw another punch. This time their knuckles met in the center, shaking the hall with their force. Kaiji spun around, attempting to slam him with his powerful tail again. But this time, Sato caught it. Smirking as he yanked Kaiji forward and drove his knee into the lizards stomach. Adding more damage to his cracked ribs.

"Koda! Chase Ashido! Don't give her time to search!" Sato shouted.

 _"W-What? Koda? But he's-"_ Kaiji went wide eyed, seeing past Sato to the form of Koda rushing down the hall. His capture tape torn to shreds, and a horde of... Rats? Following him, _"Where did he get those!?"_

"Uh... Mr All Might sir," Asui spoke up, voicing the confusion of everyone in the room, "Whats with the rodents?"

"Well you see, Koda's power is communication with animals, he can convince them to do his bidding," All Might explained simply, "Normally a facility like this would be pest free, HOWEVER! In light of their handicap, I had some lab rats brought in to serve as Koda's own little force."

Kaiji grit his teeth in frustration and threw his head straight up smashing it into Sato's chin. As the big guy stumbled back, he sprung up off his tail, aiming his feet forward and kicking with terrible force. Both feet planting dead center of his chest, and sending Sato flying back across the hall.

Kaiji landed on his butt, and struggled to get up. Grabbing his stomach in pain and wincing, he watched as Sato began to rise. The big guy staggering forward before he stumbled, "Ugh... I-I feel... Dizzy..." He collapsed to his knees, falling to the floor and passing out.

Kaiji watched in confusion, blinking a few times.

"Sato is OUT!"

"But... How?" Mineta asked confused, looking to the others, "Did... Did I miss something? He looked fine!"

"Maybe one of those punches hit harder than it looked?" Asui suggested.

"Not at all!" All Might laughed, "Had Sato paid more attention to time, he may very well have come out on top... But you see, his Quirk is called, Sugar Rush!"

"S-Sugar rush?" Kirishima repeated, sweatdropping at the silly name.

"He is already a monster in terms of physical strength, but he can multiply it by consuming sugar!" All Might explained, having read all their files, "Unfortunately, the effect has a time limit, and if he does not consume more sugar, he is bound to have a sugar crash!"

"Lucky for Kaiji, looked like he was about out of steam too..." Asui added, eyes returning to the screens as the sprawled out hero slowly changed back to his base form, "... Cool..."

Just as Kaiji was catching his breath, he heard a shriek from nearby, "Ashido!" He gasped, wincing as he sat up gripping his ribs. His eyes darted around, Koda must have found her, "I've gotta... Help!" He got to his feet, moving along the wall on shaky legs towards the nearest turn at the end of the hall.

But as he rounded the corner, he was met with the sight of Koda, he had Ashido bundled up in the capture tape and thrown over his shoulder. Kaiji clenched his fists and got into a fighting stance, "Let her go!"

Koda simply shook his head, before pointing, "Go."

"What?" Kaiji blinked, before gasping, watching as what must have been dozens, maybe hundreds of rats charged forward past Koda. An army of little white furry creatures running towards him, "R-Rats!" He exclaimed, turning to try and run, he was moving as fast as he could. But the mice were too quick, closing in on him. He was almost to the gap that Sato had created earlier though, maybe if he could jump that the rats wouldn't-

"TIIIIMES UP!"

Kaiji tripped, stumbling forward and landing on his face before he sat up, "You can't be serious!"

"Stop." Koda said in his surprisingly gentle voice. The rats halting their attack as they surrounded Kaiji.

"Villain team, WIIIIIIIINS!"

Kaiji sighed heavily, slumping down onto the floor as he caught his breath, "Well, that sucked..."

Koda put down Ashido and tore away the capture tape. Nervously rubbing the back of his head, shrugging as if to apologize.

"Oh don't worry about it," She sighed lightly, "Though, I may have a new phobia of rats..."

Kaiji let out a short laugh, "You are not the only one... Sorry I let him get away."

"Oh please Kaiji, he had an army of rats behind him." She rolled her eyes, "Not much you could have done."

Kaiji nervously chuckled as he sat up, "Y-Yeah... I guess you're right."

 _"I trust you, always have."_

"Dammit..."


	5. The Truth

**DISCLAIMER: This chapter will be about as Angsty as anything gets in this story, so here is where we knock down that personal problem so the character can move on and develop better lol**

* * *

 _"Go AWAY!"_

 _What?_

 _"W-Wait! Stay away from that thing!"_

 _Why is everyone yelling?_

 _"S-Some kind of beast!"_

 _A-A beast? Where!?_

 _"Leave my friends ALONE! You big ugly MONSTER!"_

 _Y-Your friends? I- Don't you recognize-_

 _"Don't go any closer! Get back!"_

 _"It must be a villain!"_

 _I'm not a villain!_

 _"STOP!"_

Kaiji jolted up in bed, gasping for breath as he awoke from the nightmare. He'd broken out in a cold sweat, he brought a hand up to his face to wipe his eyes. Head throbbing, he swung his legs over the side of his bed and got up.

 _"Why is this happening?"_ Kaiji asked, attempting to quietly make his way to the bathroom down the hall. Once inside, he flicked on the light and stared at himself in the mirror. Sighing as he splashed some water on his face, _"This shouldn't be happening anymore, everything is fine now, I'm training, we're all in the UA, and we're all gonna be heroes! But why, can't I get over that one-"_

"Kaiji." Lifting his drenched face, the boy met eyes with his father. He had a concerned look, staring up at him.

"O-Oh, morning Dad, I was just gonna get a glass of water and start getting ready for school..." He lied terribly.

His father was unconvinced, "Kaiji, it's three in the morning... Come on, why don't we talk?" Kaiji could tell his father wasn't really asking. He didn't have much choice but to face the music.

With a sigh, the boy followed his father out into the kitchen and sat at the table. His father rolling up to the opposite side, "Look, Dad it's fine, just school stress I'm-"

"You've been having nightmares since long before the UA, Kaiji." He was right to the point, unsurprising for a former hero more known for brawn than brains, "What is this really about Kaiji?"

His eyes were lowered to the table, hesitant to look up at his father as he got his thoughts in order. Trying to sort these damned emotions, "Dad... I, th-there's a part of my Quirk I've been hiding..."

He cocked an eyebrow, more concern showing, "Hiding? Kaiji, why would you-"

"When I was still little, when my Quirk was just starting to manifest I... I discovered another transformation, beyond the first." Kaiji went on, sniffling a little as it started pouring out, "I-I thought it was amazing, I felt so powerful! I wanted to show Kirishima, Ashido, everyone at school how strong I was..."

His father went wide eyed, suddenly beginning to understand.

"I rushed to the picnic they were having down by the river, b-but when I got there..." He nails began digging into the table, heat behind his eyes starting to spill over, "E-Everyone thought I was... S-Some kind of monster!"

His father sighed, sinking back in his wheelchair. Remembering it like it was yesterday, one of the scariest moments he'd had as a single father. A call from the school telling him some strange beast was roaming around, it got chased off by the kids but Kaiji was missing... Naturally everyone feared the worst, nobody assumed it could have actually been...

"I ran up to Kirishima, I-I tried to say something, but I couldn't talk!" Kaiji went on, tears streaming down his face, "He was so scared, he couldn't even move... When I tried to ask him what was wrong, the adults saw me, started yelling... A-And then Mina-"

 _"Go AWAY!_ _Leave my friends ALONE! You big ugly MONSTER!"_

"I didn't know what to do, I didn't know how to change back so I just... Ran," Kaiji shook his head, "Kirishima found me later, after I'd worn myself out and changed back..."

 _"Kaiji! Thank goodness you're okay! Some huge monster was roaming around the town, b-but Mina scared it away! You should have seen her she was so-"_

 _As he went on, Kaiji curled up, sobbing at his feet and muttering, "I'm sorry" Over and over again._

"He figured it out pretty quick... He was pretty smart even back then," Kaiji muttered, shaking his head slowly, "He told me that Mina cried, after being so brave she started to cry it just... Broke me, knowing I made the bravest, nicest friend I had so scared was..."

"And you go on being her friend, even thought she doesn't know." His father finally spoke up, Kaiji looking up to meet his eyes, "You feel guilty... Even though you were just kids, and couldn't have known any better... You feel like you hurt a friend, and without telling her the truth you've just been lying all this time..."

Kaiji wiped his eyes slowly, the tears coming to a stop. He felt a little better, finally talking about it, "I guess... Yeah, that's about it... She thinks I'm this great person and, I don't know, I've been lying to her for years about it... Restraining my Quirk, ignoring this other part of me." He shook his head, "W-What if I did tell her, and she hated me? What if it brought back that terrible memory? What if sh-"

"Kaiji!" He cut him off, slamming a hand on the table, startling the boy, "Do you honestly think so little of your friends?"

"S-So little of... No of course not!" He assured, worried he'd made things worse, "I... I'd do anything for them, Kirishima and Ashido, they're my best friends! I... I think the world of them..."

His father's stern look softened slowly, forming a faint smile, "Then you need to tell her the truth, if she is really one of your best friends, she'll understand... She might be a little mad for a little while, but I don't think someone like Mina Ashido is capable of hate."

Kaiji looked at him, staring into his fathers eyes. His own were filled with fear, he knew. But, it had to be done, _"I... I'll never become a great hero by lying to my friends..."_ He took a deep breath, packing away all his tears and sniffles, nodding to his father.

"I'll do it!"

 **. . .**

The sun was just breaking the horizon when Ashido arrived at the riverside. Yawning and rubbing her eyes, she was still in her pajamas and wrapped in a blanket to ward off the cold. She spotted Kirishima and Kaiji, talking by one of the far benches. Both were dressed in loose morning clothes, like they'd just rolled out of bed too.

They seemed to silence at her approach.

"Morning guys," Mina yawned, stretching a bit, "I got your message Kaiji. What's up? I'm not usually up this early before school..."

Kaiji stood up from his seat, Ashido could see he looked exhausted. But he also had a fiery determination in his eyes, something hiding behind it too but she couldn't quite make it out, "Ashido, you've been a good friend to me, for years... You've put trust me that I don't deserve, you've believed in me, despite what how I've acted..."

"Kaiji," Mina frowned, not understanding what was going on, "You're not making any sense, what are you-"

"Let him finish," Kirishima interrupted, arms crossed as he watched, "He's facing up to his mistakes, like a man."

"I lied to you, a long time ago I did something reckless, and you were hurt, and I never told you the truth." Kaiji explained, taking a deep breath before he sighed, "I made you cry, I scared all of my friends, our teachers..."

Mina took a step forward, "Kaiji, you aren't making any sense... You've never made me cry, come on you know I don't do that," She forced a laugh, trying to raise his downed spirits, "I'm the tough girl."

"Ashido, Kaiji was that monster that showed up at our school picnic when we were little." Kirishima explained, saying what Kaiji was too nervous to admit.

Her eyes widened, looking at her red haired friend before returning the look to Kaiji, "I... What? That's... That's impossible... You can't turn into-"

"I found out about a new form, on accident," He sighed, shaking his head, "I was playing around in my second stage, before the picnic because I wanted to impress our friends but... Something happened, I changed and I ran to you guys to show you, because I thought it was amazing and I just..."

Ashido took a step back, remembering that terrifying day. Trying to put the face of that... Beast, to Kaiji. It didn't seem possible, and he was just a kid? Capable of turning into something so scary? Her eyes slowly turning on Kirishima, "And you knew?"

"I found out later when I found Kaiji." He explained calmly, "I promised I wouldn't tell you, or anyone about his Quirks new form... All he's done has been trying to make up for it, he has nightmares, and he can't even come back here without remembering what happened!"

"My father didn't even know, until a few hours ago." Kaiji admitted, finally looking into her eyes, "Look, Ashido, I'm sorry... I thought I could just ignore that part of me, and not use it, pretend everything was fine and just... Go back to normal." He sighed, shaking his head, "But with the new pressure from school I... I guess I just couldn't take it, you put so much trust in me and... I don't know if I deserve it, not when I've been lying to everyone for so long."

That's really what had been killing him these past few days since school started. Everything at UA was about being a hero, justice and honor. There was no honor in lying to a friend. Sure, he felt bad that he made her cry, but he felt worse that she put so much trust in him. He didn't think she would feel the same if she knew the secret he'd be hiding.

Ashido remained silent, burying the lower half of her face in her blanket as she digested the information. Remembering her time with her friends over the years, how Kaiji was always sticking his neck out for her. Taking the brunt of punishments when they got into trouble, helping her out even if it meant blowing off someone else. She always thought it was because he-

But was it just because he felt bad?

Beyond that, when she stood up to that creature it was the moment that defined her. It was then that she decided to she wanted to help others and protect her friends. The moment she decided she wanted to be a hero! And now, to find out that she was never really in any danger, that it was all fake...

"Kaiji I... I need some time to think about this." She finally replied, and Adachi felt his heart sink a little, "I'll... See you guys at school."

Well, it wasn't as bad he'd thought it would be, "I understand..." He answered somberly as she walked off back towards her home. As she turned the corner, Kaiji released a breath he'd been holding, and lowered his head.

"Hey, you did the right thing, for better or for worse," Kirishima smiled, patting him on the back, "No need to beat yourself up anymore."

"Yeah... Just took me about 8 years to do it." He sighed shaking his head, "I'm gonna go get ready for school, I'll see you at the station." He waved him off, turning and heading back towards his own home.

 **. . .**

The day went by slow, and Kaiji didn't exactly feel present for most of it. He was sulking, but really he looked no more tired than usual. He was just smiling a lot less when Bakugo threatened to kill someone, usually Midoriya. Ashido was quieter too, talking to her friends but not going out of her way to get involved. They voted for a class representative and there was a big scare about intruders, which turned out to just be the press...

But aside from that, the day passed just like normal until Hero Training.

"Today's training will be a little bit different, you'll have Three Instructors," Mr. Aizawa explained as he stood before the class, "Me, All Might and another faculty member will be keeping tabs on you."

 _"Huh, that's new... But I guess I can't say I'm opposed to seeing more All Might,"_ Kaiji thought to himself idly, _"That guy is like an explosion of positivity, we could all use some of that right now."_

"Uh, Sir!" Another student raised his hand, "What kind of training is this gonna be exactly?"

"I'm glad you asked," Aizawa replied, holding up a card that simply read, RESCUE, "Today will be rescue training, you'll be learning how to handle natural disasters, sinking ships, widespread fires, all at a special facility further away from the main school."

"Something new." Kaiji smiled a little, "That should take my mind of things." He perked up a bit, this could at least be fun.

"Sounds like we might be in for a workout."

"Totally!"

"This sounds like real hero stuff!" Kirishima said, leaning forward on his desk, "I'm shaking with excitement!"

"I can finally show off my moves in water _ribbit_." Asui chimed in, tapping a finger to her face.

"I wasn't finished!" Aizawa called, drawing eyes back to him, "What you wear for this training is up to you, but because I know you all like costumes..." The room lit up with cheers as the panels slid out with their numbered cases, "But keep in mind you haven't gotten used to them yet, they may very well hinder you if you aren't prepared... Because we're going to an off campus facility we'll be taking a bus to get there, that is all, start getting ready." He ordered, walking off and out of the room.

Kaiji grabbed his case, opening it up with a grin. Grabbing his gear and getting changed fast, he didn't want to miss the chance for a good seat on the bus. A fear born of public transportation, but that is a much less interesting story... Once they were all finished, the class met outside where the bus was waiting for them.

"Hey," Kaiji turned, seeing Kirishima approaching, "Your head in the game scaly?" He asked with a joking grin.

He laughed nervously, "As much as it can be I guess... You talk to her at all?"

"A little," Kirishima shrugged, there seats were pretty close to one another, "She is pretty down right now too, I think this whole mess just brought up those bad memories for her..."

"Yeah, I know what that feels like." Kaiji sighed heavily.

"But it isn't just that," Kirishima said, as Iida began shouting about how they were to board the bus, "I think... What happened back then changed her."

"What do you mean?" Kaiji asked confused.

"Sure, she always talked the talk at school, so did I," He went on, "But when you showed up... The way you did, she thought it was a serious life or death situation, she put herself in harms way like a real hero would to protect us, even when I couldn't even move." Kirishima explained, looking towards Ashido as she talked with Uraraka, "I think finding that it really was no threat, just you... It's making her question if she really had the resolve to make it this far, without that event driving her."

Kaiji lowered his head a bit, immediately returning to sulking, "Ugh, great, now I've not only made her sad but driven her into an existential crisis!" Earning a laugh from Kirishima, as he dragged Kaiji to the bus.

As they loaded up, Iida lamented that the open bus seats totally ruined his boarding "strategy". But as they got moving, and the students began chatting among themselves, Kaiji was surprised to find Tokoyami taking a seat beside him. They hadn't talked much, a few times during lunch but he seemed to enjoy the quiet. But the bird faced boy had been pretty friendly with Kaiji since trading seats.

"O-Oh hey Tokoyami," He greeted, putting aside his own thoughts for a few minutes, "What's up?"

"Not much, I just happened to notice you brooding quite a lot today." He stated rather bluntly, a ghost of a smirk on his beak as he added, "I hear talk that you're giving me a run for my money."

Kaiji laughed at that, but also blushed a little with embarrassment, "Am I that obvious? I'll try to brood more quietly next time." He joked.

"In a class as noisy as ours, the absence of sound is the loudest, and your seat is deafening." He said quite eloquently.

Kaiji blinked in surprise, "That was... A little dramatic, b-but uh, I'm fine really just some personal stuff."

"Hmm, sounds like some you and your friends stuff."

 _"Nothing get's past this bird brain it seems..."_ Kaiji sweatdropped, "I just... Did something stupid, and I'm finally paying for it I guess." He shrugged, "I've done all I can to apologize, I just need to wait and see if she forgive me..."

"Mmm, have you tried forgiving yourself?" Tokoyami asked, making Kaiji stiffen, "You know, perhaps you and I share something in common... I have not talked to many about my Quirk, but I control a strong essence of darkness... At night, he is hard to control, and very dangerous if I'm not careful, someone can easily get hurt."

"And... How does that mean we have something in common?" Kaiji asked, wondering if he was referring to his third stage. But that couldn't be possible, there were only three people in the entire world that knew about it!

"Because we've hurt others without meaning too," He answered simply, "You never intended to hurt anyone, you're too nice, I can see that clear as day." Tokoyami added, smiling faintly, "Accidents happen, but if you continue to blame yourself you'll never conquer that fear of yourself, and you'll never become as capable a hero as you could be... You do us all a disservice by beating yourself up over it."

Kaiji started blankly at the bird faced student, Tokoyami began to sweat under the his colleagues dumbfounded expression. His serious appearance starting to crumble, "Wow Tokoyami, that is some deep stuff, and some good advice." He smiled, chuckling nervously, "You're a pretty cool guy, thanks."

He nodded with a relieved smile of his own, "Of course, we're all comrades right?

"Right."

 **. . .**

They were lead into the facility upon arrival by the famous space Hero 13, renowned for rescuing people from disasters all over the world. The building was some kind of massive dome, covering a huge area. They doors they entered through had them overlooking much of it. Kaiji could see a lake in the distance, a few smaller domes as well as a mountain area. It was like a giant theme park!

"I created this training facility to prepare you for different types of disasters! Whether they be wind storms, fires, landslides, shipwrecks, etc." 13 Explained, spreading her arms wide atop the steps, "I call it, _The Unforeseen Simulation Joint!_ Or, USJ, for short."

 _"Huh, just like Universal Studios Japan..."_ Kaiji thought to himself, but brushed it aside. That was just silly, surely nobody else thought of that too.

"Now, before we begin, let me just say one thing... Or two thi- maybe three, or four... Five?"

"We get it!" The students groaned, eager to get down to business.

"Listen carefully," She began finally, "I'm sure you're aware that I have a powerful Quirk, it's called Black Hole. I can use it to suck up anything and turn it to dust."

"Yeah," Midoriya spoke up, Uraraka practically bouncing with excitement beside him, "You've used Black Hole to save hundreds of people from disasters!"

"That's true," She nodded, lowering her arms, "But that same Quirk could also very easily be used to kill... Many of you also have Quirks that can be quite dangerous! In our super human society, all Quirks are watched over and stringently regulated so people often overlook how dangerous they can actually be... Please don't forget that if you lose focus or make a wrong move your powers can be deadly, even if you're trying to do something virtuous like rescuing someone... Thanks to Aizawa's fitness test you have a solid idea of your Quirks potential, and because of All Mights combat training you've likely started to understand how dangerous your Quirks can be when used on other people..."

Kaiji nodded his head, _"Those punches Sato and I traded... A normal man, maybe even a Quirk user that's less sturdy could have been killed with power like that."_

"Carry those lessons over to this class!" 13 Continued, the students watching with rapt attention, "Today, you're going to use those lessons to save peoples lives, you're not using your powers to attack enemies or each other, you're here to help! After all, that's what being a hero is all about! Ensuring the safety of others... That's all I have to say," She finished with a slight bow, " Thank you so much for listening."

The students gave her a round of applause, smiling and talking among each other about how cool 13 was. While Aizawa stepped forward, "Right, now that that's over-"

The lights in the dome suddenly began to dim, sparks flying as the circle of bright lights around the ceiling shattered one by one. Kaiji looked to the others, wondering if this was some part of the test. Then to the instructors, watching as Aizawa's face twisted with worry, eyes glancing down to the center courtyard of the dome.

A swirling mass of purple and black began to form, spreading wider and wider across the center, "Stay together and don't move!" Aizawa commanded, "13! Protect the students!"

Figures began to emerge from the wall of darkness. Quirk wielders of all shapes and sizes, many of them armed. Kaiji could feel his heart begin to quicken, something in the air making his animal instincts kick in. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

"Wait, what's that?" Kirishima questioned, stepping forward to get a better look, "I thought we were rescuing people?"

Midoriya took a step forward as well, trying to get a better look, "Stay back!" Aizawa snapped at them, pulling out his goggles and putting them on, "This is real, those are villains!"

"What?"

"Villains!?"

"In the school?"

Kaiji swallowed nervously, watching as the final figure stepped out of the darkness. A massive man, black skin with an exposed brain and a birdlike face. As he stared at the face of this monster, his heart began to pound in his chest. Every animal instinct he had telling him to run, to flee here and never return for fear of what that thing was capable of.

"This is... This is wrong!"


	6. Faux Forest Rumble

**WooOooOOoooOOOOo first original fight chapter lol let me know if my choreography of the was any good XD**

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Kaiji's own heartbeat was making it hard to hear. As people began to talk, and the villains were advancing. He looked around the crowd of students, noting the fear and worry on most of their faces. Of course, Todoroki and Bakugo seemed completely unfazed by this. They were the most skilled out of our entire group so it made sense.

Adachi flinched, eyes finally landing Ashido. He looked away, seeing a familiar fear in her eyes. He clenched his fists tightly, _"These... These damn villains!"_

"13, get the students out of here and alert the Campus." Aizawa ordered, goggles on and his bands at the ready, "Although, if the alarm systems are down they could be jamming our communications as well... Kaminari, use your Quirk to try and contact the school!"

"Y-Yes sir."

"What are you gonna do!?" Midoriya questioned as he stepped forward, "You can't fight them all on your own, there's too many of them... Even if you can nullify their Quirks, your fighting style's not suited for this, your power works best in stealth and one on one fights... It's not gonna help in a group."

Aizawa shot Midoriya a look, "You can't be a pro if you've only got one trick... I'll leave it to you 13." Before he dashed off, jumping down the stairs and charging into battle.

As the fighting began down below, 13 urged everyone to the doors, "Come on follow me!" She ordered, the group running for the exit, "Nobody panic, we're all gonna make it out!"

Kaiji raced alongside his class, fearing to look back. Aizawa, Eraser Head, was good, he was a pro. But that big brained monster, something about him made Kaiji's stomach churn.

"You felt it too right?" Asui asked as she ran beside him.

Kaiji nodded slowly, "So I'm not the only one... I forgot I'm not the only animal here." He added with a nervous smile.

"Whatever that big guy can do, just looking at him gives me goosebumps, _ribbit._ "

The class came to a halt suddenly, as another dark rift opened on the floor before them. Rising out of it was that phantom form, his eyes burning into them, "A pleasure to meet you all, we are the League of Villains, I know it's impolite, but we decided to invite ourselves into this Haven of Justice to say hello." His voice was condescending, deep and powerful. He wasn't some lackey, this guy was the real deal, "And besides, isn't this a fitting place for the Symbol of Peace, All Might to take his last breath?"

 _"All Might? They are after All Might? Are they insane?"_ Kaiji questioned, watching and ready to act if the big guy tried anything.

"I believe he was supposed to be here today and yet I see no sign of him," The wraith-like being continued, "There must have been some change in plans we could not have foreseen... Ah, well in the end it doesn't really matter," His form was beginning to shift, he was about to try something! "I still have a role to play!"

"Hyaaagh!" Kaiji gasped, watching as both Bakugo and Kirishima charged forward. Lunging at the big cloud of darkness, striking with full force and creating an explosion, the blast blinding everyone with smoke for a moment. The two touching down, the cloud seeming to dissipate.

 _"D-Did they get him?"_

"Did you think we were just gonna stand around and let you tear this place to shreds?" Kirishima asked with a confident smirk, hardened arms at the ready.

But their confidence faltered, as he reformed completely. Unfazed by their attacks, "You certainly live up to your schools reputation... But you children should be careful, or else someone might get HURT!"

"G-Get back!" 13 commanded.

But it was too late, the wraith formed an expanding torrent of darkness that began to swallow up the students, "I'll scatter you across this facility, to meet my comrades, AND YOUR DEATHS!"

Kaiji felt something begin to engulf his form, like he was being pulled away. He could hear the yelling of others, the shouting and the fear, "Kaiji!" His eyes widened, looking to Ashido as she reached out to grab his hand, "Hang on!"

He tried to reach her, but before he could make contact the void swallowed him whole.

 **. . .**

When he was able to see again, Kaiji was falling. His eyes widened, below him looked to be something at the base of the landslide area. A thick forest marred with some large rocks, and fallen trees near the base of the faux mountain. From this height, the fall might not kill him but he wouldn't hit the ground without injury.

"Gotta change, gotta do it fast!" Kaiji decided. Clenching his teeth and crying out as his body started morphing, the trees approaching rapidly. His armored hide forming as fast as it could, luckily just in time as he crashed through the canopy. Smashing through some branches until finally crashing into the ground below.

It took him a few moments to pull himself from out of the small crater, panting as he rose to his feet. His scales managed to absorb much of the shock of impact, thank goodness. Shaking it off he climbed free of his would be grave. But as he stepped out into the open forest once more, the sounds of snarling and growls caught his ears.

"Now!" Turning fast, he only had enough time to get his arm up before the jaws of some white wolf-man snapped down on it. The fangs chewing hard on his arm bracer, luckily not piercing the small piece of armor.

"Graagh!" He snarled in pain beneath his armored muzzle, as similar fangs sunk into both calves, and his free arm. His eyes darted around, four of them. Four Wolf men, one white, one black, one red, and one brown.

The one on his arm released, jumping back as did the others. Kaiji wincing as his wounds bled just barely, nothing too deep thanks to his scales, "Nice moves kid." The white wolf snickered, licking his lips, "I was going for your neck... You've got good reaction time."

"And those scales are pretty tough, explains how you survived the fall." Another added, wiping his mouth.

"But you're in our forest now, the Wolf Pack is gonna tear you apart!"

"Because you're our PREY now!"

 _"Wolf pack, I think I heard of them on the news once."_ Kaiji thought, trying to remember anything useful, _"Petty criminals, they've committed assault and theft before, but never murder... They may look scary, but they're just fuzzy thugs."_

He brought up his hands, clenching his fists tightly as he prepared to fight.

"Oohoo! Looks like we've got a feisty one," The pack leader sneered, holding his clawed hands at the ready, "Alright boys, you know the drill! Let's take him down!" He unleashed a feral howl, the other three did the same, their calls echoing to the sky above before they charged.

They were attacking from all sides in a circle around him, they weren't spacing out attacks, making it an easy sweep! Turning fast, he swung around his mighty tail, catching one then two then three and finally the fourth! All of them were sent flying as a bundle, crashing into a tree.

"Gah! Y-You little brat..." The black one grumbled, holding his side as he stood up along with his comrades.

"Y-You got lucky!"

"Tch, and here I was thinking that tail was just for show." The leader snarled, fangs bared, "Alright boys, form up and get ready! The pack has got game to hunt!"

Kaiji narrowed his eyes, stepping into his fighting stance, _"I don't have time for these idiots, I need to find the others... Kirishima and Ashido might be in trouble!"_

The Wolf Pack howled and charged forward, barking like rabid dogs as they closed in. But he knew the truth, they weren't ready for something like this. These thugs reeked of fear. The thing about being an animal was knowing that fight or flight instinct, they had no idea what he was capable of and they were afraid.

So he took them head on! His claws at the ready, he slashed forward. The agile leader jumped right over the attack, landing behind him. But Kaiji was more than ready, throwing a fist back as he turned, effectively backhanding the leader with bone breaking force. The attack laid him flat out on his back, nose broken and missing a few teeth as he laid in a daze.

"B-Big bro!" Another cried out, roaring in anger as he tried to tackle Kaiji. But as he rammed his shoulder into the lizards gut, Kaiji dug in his heels and refused to move. Instead, lifting up the brown wolf, and power bombing him right into the ground, leaving him in his own crater with a few broken bones as well.

That familiar rush was coursing through his body, the fighting had his blood pumping while his eyes darted between the remaining brothers. They moved so slow in comparison, their oldest brother was the only one that came close to him. As the two dashed at him, one aiming low and the other high, Kaiji counter attack.

Throwing his knee right into the chin of the low one, while grabbing the high one by the neck. His tail wrapped around the one below as he recoiled, and Kaiji slammed their heads together hard, leaving them knocked out on the ground with the other two. He panted lightly, calming down as he looked towards the center of the dome.

 _"Aizawa must still be fighting there... But Ashido and Kirishima could be anywhere,"_ He clenched his fists tightly, trying to decide, _"These guys, they must just be common thugs, the only two that really put me on edge were that big guy and the guy with the hands... I have to trust that the others can handle themselves like I have!"_ He started running towards the center, hoping he could find some way to either get to safety, or help the others.

"Not so fast lizard lips!" Kaiji was hit hard, a mighty clawed hand slamming into his stomach and sending him sliding back until he slammed into a tree, "You're not going anywhere, not until the Kodiak is done with you!"

First wolves, now he was face to face with a giant bear man. He was huge, bigger than Kaiji by a few feet. Covered in thick fur, and had razor sharp claws.

 _"D-Dammit!"_ Kaiji winced, holding his bleeding stomach, holes in his tank top, _"That was careless... I shouldn't have lowered my guard!"_

"You really messed up those wolf pack idiots," The fat, hairy beast man chuckled as he lumbered forward Kaiji, "But your strength won't mean anything against ME!" He raised both hands, bringing them down hard to try and smash him.

Kaiji jumped back, dodging the attack by a mile before charging. Throwing a punch as hard as he could at the beast. It struck his jaw, but most of the force was absorbed by his thick fur and fat, _"A direct attack won't work!"_ He realized too late, as the Bear grabbed his arm, squeezing hard, "Graaagh!" He snarled in pain.

"DIE BRAT!" Kodiac lifting him up high by the arm, slamming the boy down hard into the ground over and over. Before finally turning and throwing him through a large tree.

 _"My body..."_ Kaiji winced, struggling to get up, _"He definitely cracked some ribs, and my left arm is dislocated... I can't beat him in raw power, and if I run he'll just chase me to wherever I go!"_ He had to think fast, standing on shaky legs as the Bear lumbered towards him. _"He's a big guy, meaning the more he moves, the more he-"_ Kaiji went wide eyed in realization, hearing the panting breaths from Kodiak.

"Stay down brat!" He huffed, raising a giant arm to slam down once more, his movements slower.

 _"There's no way this guy was waiting at the edge of the forest, he must have run after me when I crashed!"_ Kaiji decided, jumping over the mighty fist and landing on his arm after it crashed into the earth, _"They were supposed to team up on us once we were separated, the wolves just got ahead of themselves, they were the speed and HE was the muscle!"_ Kaiji jumped as Kodiak threw a punch trying to repel the boy from his body, _"And that means this fat bastard had to run to get to us! He's already completely gassed!"_

"Gah!" Kodiak gasped, Kaiji landed on his back, claws digging into his thick fur to hold him in place, "Y-You pest let- Hngh!" His words were choked, as Keiji wrapped his powerful tail around Kodiak's neck.

 _"He's already winded! Meaning I can choke him out I just need to hang on!"_

"Ngh! L-Let Me- AGH!" He gagged and choked, reaching up and trying to rip away Kaiji's tail. His claws digging into the skin, ripping at the scales and making him bleed. The bear throwing himself back and slamming Kaiji between him and a tree. He repeated the action over and over, but Kaiji refused to let go.

 _"Endure it! I-I just need to hang on!"_ He told himself, tail bleeding all over the Bear as he tried desperately to shake him off.

"Can't... B-Breathe-" Kodiak was gasping, trying to take in air as his face turned purple. Eyes rolling back as his finally arms fell to his sides. He dropped forward, landing on his knees, before collapsing face first in the grass.

Kaiji released his tail, pulling his claws out of the mans back as he stood up. Looking down at his own wounds, he could feel the familiar itch of skin mending itself, his slow regeneration was kicking in. But that also meant he was going to burn energy. He had to find the others though, there wasn't time to be sitting around here.

He took off for the center once more, moving a slower, safe pace as he kept an eye out for more villains. He couldn't afford a sneak attack again...


	7. Hold On

**VictorsmyName: Wish granted, to my favorite reviewer X3**

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Adachi kept running, panting heavily by the time he reached the hard floor of the courtyard. His eyes darting across the many beaten, unconscious bodies. They had all been totally destroyed by Eraser Head, Mr. Aizawa.

 _"This is the power of a pro,"_ He thought, running towards the stairs located at the far end. He could see figures at the top, his class mates! Maybe they hadn't all be warped away, _"So many enemies, hopefully he made it out too... But I don't see-"_

He slid to a stop, eyes widening as he spotted the three figures, just past the center fountain. The handy man, shadow guy and that big brained monster. There was blood on the ground, and as Kaiji's eyes turned to the giant monsters feet, his heart sank. Seeing the crippled, and maybe even dead body of Mr. Aizawa.

 _"No... Not him..."_

 **. . .**

"13 please hang on!" Ashido cried, tears brimming at the corner of her eyes as she tried to tend to the eviscerated Hero. Done in by her own Quirk, her body was terribly damaged.

"Iida's gonna bring help! You're gonna be fine!" Uraraka assured.

Meanwhile, Sato and Shoji were scanning the area, "I don't see that smokey guy anywhere..." Sato stated, slowly lowering his guard.

"He seemed to run once Iida escaped, maybe the villains will retreat now?" Shoji suggested, turning his attention to the courtyard as he walked past 13 and the girls, "Ngh!" He gasped, tensing up, "Mr. Aizawa..." He muttered, eyes scanning the courtyard unable to find their instructor. From this distance, it was hard to make out the shapes of everyone below and Aizawa wasn't exactly a big guy. Somehow not being able to see him at all put Shoji on edge.

"Hey wait, isn't that Adachi over there too?" Sato pointed out.

"Kaiji?" Ashido gasped, getting up and running towards the top of the stairs, "Is he alright? Do you see Kirishima anywhere?"

"Give me a moment." Shoji replied, forming extra ears and a better nose as he took in the courtyard, "Its bad... Worse than I thought," He said grimly, looking towards Sato and Ashido, "Kaiji's wounded, nothing fatal but he reeks of blood... As for the others, that smoke guy returned to them, I think they're planning to flee... But Mr. Aizawa has been badly injured."

"Oh no..." Ashido muttered, eyes turning to the figures below, "W-We have to do something!"

 **. . .**

"We won't stand a chance if dozens of pros show up," The hand covered man sighed, "It'll be game over, back to the title screen... And I was looking forward to finishing this today, dammit... Let's go home."

Kaiji went wide eyed, he was within earshot but didn't think he'd been noticed yet. _"They're just going to leave? After all of this?"_ He asked himself, narrowing his eyes sharply, _"No, they won't be going yet... Something doesn't feel right, that guy with the blue hair... He's not normal."_ He was beginning to fear the worst, after what they'd done to Aizawa he was positive they might do something just to hurt them more, to send some kind of message.

"Oh, before we leave..." Kaiji clenched his fist as he watched the manic man turn slowly towards the lake, "Let's make sure the symbol of peace is broken..."

 _"M-Midoriya! Asui and Mineta!?"_ He realized, eyes bulging with fear, _"What are they doing there!?"_ He could feel it, that predatory look in the crazy ones eyes. He was going to attack, but what could he do? He hadn't even seen his Quirk yet!

"Let's make this HURT!"

 _"I can't yell! I can't tell them to run! I-I have to attack!"_

Shigaraki was about to make his move, when he heard footsteps charging from behind. He saw the big blue lizard man charging the three of them, "Oh my, a volunteer~!" He snickered, suddenly vanishing with blinding speed.

 _"He's so fast_ _!"_ He slid to a stop, the man appearing before him and thrusting his hands forward. Out of reaction, Kaiji raised his hands to stop the attacks and block.

"NO KAIJI!" Midoriya screamed, "DON'T LET HIM TOUCH YOU!"

 _"What?!"_ Adachi tried to pull his hands back, but it was far too late. Shigaraki grabbed a hold of his forearms, instantly Kaiji understood what a terrible mistake he'd made. His bracers disintegrated in a split second, and then he felt a terrible burning itching pain as his forearms began to crumble. Scales, skin, muscle and bone becoming brittle.

"I'll just be taking these!" Shigaraki sneered, pulling hard and snapping away both of Adachi's hands.

His mind went blank with white hot pain coursing through him. Kaiji released muffled cries against his armored muzzle, tears brimming at the corners of his eyes. He might have gone into shock if the adrenaline hadn't kicked in as he fell to his knees.

"Look at him writhe, don't worry... I'll end your misery after I take a few more limbs~" Shiragaki said in his shrill menacing voice as he stood over Kaiji, "How about your legs next?"

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" The voice of Midoriya cut in, having crossed the distance between them in seconds to save his friend. His fist was cocked back ready to unleash a full power punch, "SMAAAAAASH!"

A thunderous crash sounded, gusts of wind blowing in all directions as the blow made contact. Midoriya panting for breath, looking down at his arm, "I-It didn't hurt me that time..." He muttered, but as the dust cleared, his relief turned to shock, realizing that at some point, the monster Noumu had gotten between him and his target. _"H-He took that punch full blast and didn't even move!?"_

"Ohohoho! That was close, you're pretty powerful," Shigaraki said with manic amusement, "Are you one of All Might's disciples? Mm, doesn't matter... I'm done with you now!" Noumu raised his fist high, ready to crush him in a single blow. Just as Shigaraki was reaching out to finish Adachi.

Before the blows could be struck, guardian angels intervened. A tongue wrapping around Midoriya's waste, yanking him back. While Shigaraki was forced to jump back, a splash of gooey white acid coming between him and his kill. Noumu's slam struck the earth, exploding dust and concrete where Midoriya had been.

At the bottom of the stairs, Asui and Mineta had regrouped with Shoji, Sato and Ashido. Mr. Aizawa was with them, Asui had made a move when Midoriya attacked, getting the injured man away from the immediate danger.

 _"A-Ashido?"_ Kaiji thought, his mind clearing, his body was slowly going numb, _"You shouldn't be here... I-Its too dangerous!"_

"So many pests, good," Shigaraki muttered, eyes burning into the students, "That just means more bodies for All Might to see! You first!" As Kaiji was still in danger, he went for him as an easy target, hands reaching out. But Shigaraki wasn't stupid, this time he moved behind Adachi, putting the lizard between him and the young heroes so their ranged attacks wouldn't make it.

 _"No... I have to hang on, I won't go YET!"_ A surge of adrenaline rushed through him, he turned on his knees, swiping at Shigaraki with his tail and taking him by surprise. The Manic villain jumped back, while Kaiji struggled to his feet, backing away slowly.

Asui grabbed him with her tongue, yanking him closer quickly, "Ugh, you taste like blood and dirt, _ribbit_."

"Adachi!" Sato said worriedly, he and Shoji getting between the villains and their injured friends, "Hang on, Iida managed to escape, help is coming! We just need to hold out a little longer!"

"Noumu, a demonstration please."

"AAGH!"

"GAAAH!"

Both Sato and Shoji were slammed by the monsters fists, the two sent flying and crashing into the stairs. All six of Shoji's arms were completely broken in his attempt to defend and he was barely conscious. Sato had managed to take the brunt of the force with his arms as well, the two limbs were bloody and completely shattered.

"And that was just a love tap." Shigaraki snickered, "You are all just playthings to Noumu, he was made to kill All Might! What chance do you have!?"

Kaiji was struggling to keep his eyes open, wincing in pain as he panted. Looking up at the others, Midoriya and Asui were focused on the enemy, listening to his manic laugh while Mineta cowered. And Ashido was cradling his head, tears streaming down her face, "Adachi, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." She sobbed over his missing arms.

This was the first taste any of them had gotten to see of true villainy and evil. And it was not pretty... It was powerful, and it was ruthless.

 _"If only I was stronger, if I just knew how to control it,"_ Kaiji mentally kicked himself, tears in his eyes as well, _"Maybe I could be more useful... All I've done is pull more of my friends down into the abyss with me, I... I-"_

"A... Da... Chi..."

"Mr. Aizawa!" Midoriya gasped, kneeling by his side, "Don't try to talk, you're badly hurt!"

Kaiji's titled his head as best he could, looking down at the ruined man, _"M-Mr. Aizawa..."_

"D-Don't... Let me... Down... D-Don't hold... Anything back... Unleash... Your... P-Pow-" His words were cut off by a blood filled cough.

Adachi felt something slip, eyes widening as he remembered that conversation, after their first class together at the UA.

 _"I'm scared to use it... I don't think I'm ready."_

 _"No, you're not,... But, unless you start using it, you never_ will _be ready... I've gone over your files, what you've listed as a Quirk pales in comparison to what you might really be able to do, so get it together and get control."_

 _"I understand... Thank you Mr. Aizawa."_

 _"You can thank me by doing better, I know you're capable of it, so don't let me down."_

He was right, even if he didn't have complete control. _"Even if I can just aim it, m-maybe I can buy us the time we need!"_ He began struggling to sit up, leaning forward while Midoriya protested.

"What are you doing? Kaiji please don't move! You've lost too much blood!"

Ashido watched him, her tears slowing as she realized what was happening. She knew what he was planning to do, it sent a chill down her spine, "Kaiji..." She took a deep breath, "Don't hold anything back! Forget about us and give that monster EVERYTHING!" She demanded, shouting passionately. She hated thinking of him fighting that monster, or even seeing Kaiji become that beast again, but she knew it might be their only chance...

 _"Ashido... I'll do it, I'll use everything I've got! I'LL SAVE EVERYONE!"_ His eyes began to glow, Midoriya stumbling back as Kaiji began to change. Shigaraki holding his attack with mild interest.

Cracks were beginning to form along his back, his body growing slowly as spikes erupted from his spine. Running from the back of his head all the way down his tail, the jet black spines suddenly breaking away and leaving behind glowing jagged jade green crystals on his back. Similar spikes jutting from his shoulders, and one from the top of his head.

"Uh... We should probably move." Asui noted, Midoriya nodded and helped grab Aizawa with Ashido's help, moving further up the stairs past Shoji and Sato.

Kaiji was getting bigger, his body growing while the armored plates over his mouth began to crack, threatening to snap away at any moment. _"That's it... Hold it together! It hurts but... It's our only chance! Just a little more!"_

He had reached nearly ten feet tall, when suddenly the armless beast lurched forward. A sickening snap was heard, as two new arms erupted from his stumps, spraying blood across the floor. At the same time, Adachi's mouth was freed! The Armor breaking away into shards as his mouth opened wide, revealing razor sharp teeth as he lurched forward, eyes locked onto Shigaraki.

 **"HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"**

 _"NOW GO!"_


	8. The Beast

**VictorsMyName: No problem! And you have a good eye, that is exactly what I was going for :3**

 **Heartburn190773: Hey thanks for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying the story, though things do start to get pretty altered after this arc so hopefully you still enjoy it! And yeah sure, so long as I'm credited feel free to use Kaiji in your own stories :D**

 **Anyways! Strap in for a long one because we've got over 4000 words in this one :D I will say however this Chapter is potentially a bit messy so the rating will be M for Gore, just a fair warning!**

* * *

 _"NOW GO!"_

The ground beneath his feet was torn asunder as he launched forward. Aiming straight for Shigaraki, the titan had an arm outstretched to put him down. But he was broadsided by a mighty punch, one that sent him tumbling across the ground, a blow to his jaw that could have blown the head off a normal man.

"He's looks strong... But not very fast." Shigaraki muttered, stepping back slowly, "Noumu, kill."

The freak shrieked loudly, his voice echoing in the chamber before it jumped up high into the air. Intending on crashing down a top the giant beast. But Kaiji was up quickly, mouth dripping blood from the blow, **"GRAAAH!"** He bellowed, jumping straight up to meet the monster mid fall, the floor tearing as he launched.

He slammed into Noumu's stomach with his horned head, driving the spike deep into his gut. The monster didn't seem to react however, and brought both fists together. Slamming them down hard on Kaiji's back, dislodging the horn and sending the beast crashing into the floor once again. Noumu landed on top of him, slamming his feet down in an attempt to break the creatures spine but the jagged spikes along his back made it impossible to land directly.

However, in the current position, Noumu had Kaiji pinned.

At least, that's what he thought. Before Kaiji's jagged tail swung up and stabbed Noumu through the back. The spikes had him locked in, and Kaiji threw the bastard as hard as he could, sending him crashing against the fountain before rising to his feet.

Keeping focus was difficult, his body burned with primal anger like a hot fire ready to be unleashed. But he focused on the monster, Noumu, as best he could.

As Noumu got to his feet, the holes left in his torso began to seal themselves shut. The heroes watching from the stairs were in shock, "Th-That thing is super strong, AND can heal itself?" Mineta exclaimed frantically pacing back and forth.

"Yeah, but Adachi seems to be holding his own, _ribbit_ ," Asui pointed out as well, "If he can keep this up, we might not even need All Might... I had no idea his Quirk was so amazing..."

"No, you're wrong," Ashido shook her head, not taking her eyes off the fight, "Kaiji has never used this power to fight before... This is completely new territory for him, and who knows what kind of strain it's putting on his untrained body, All Might NEEDS to get here soon, or Adachi might really hurt himself!"

 _"If only I'd known, and Kaiji had learned to use this power properly maybe things would be different now..."_ Mina thought to herself.

 **"HRAAAGH!"**

 **"SCREEEE!"**

Another thunderous crash sounded as the two met each other knuckle to knuckle in the center of the courtyard. The impact cracked the ground beneath them, and Kaiji's newly formed arm went limp, the bones shattering. The beast turned, attempting to slam Noumu with his mighty tail but even as the spikes drove into his ribs, Noumu caught the tail.

With a single elbow to the upper part of the tail, the bone was snapped and it fell limp making Kaiji howl in pain. With two limbs down, the beast's anger was rising. He roared furiously like a wild animal, lunging forward and clamping his jaws down onto Noumu's shoulder. With a vicious, bloody rip he tore the beefy limb right out of its socket, before raising a clawed foot and kicking him as hard as he could. The monster sliding back on his heels, releasing a shriek at the beast as it spit out his arm onto the floor.

"Now that is downright terrifying," Shigaraki muttered with a shrill snicker, "He'd make an excellent villain with that kind of brutality, you chose the wrong profession kid..."

Noumu's arm regrew in but a few moments during the reprieve. And Adachi's body was starting to give out on him, the blood running from his teeth wasn't Noumu's anymore. And in this form his body only had a single burst of regeneration, during the transformation. So the two broken limbs were their to stay until he returned to normal.

"Adachi is amazing... But he can't keep this up forever." Midoriya muttered, _"Those crystals on his back... Why do they look so familiar?"_

 _"K-Keep it together... Focus..."_ Kaiji said to himself, barely holding himself back from another reckless charge, the burning feeling in his stomach was starting to become too much. But he wasn't sure if it was his muscles tearing or his wounds from the battle, _"I can do this, i-it isn't invincible! For all of them! I'll do what I can!"_

Noumu was lumbering forward, preparing to charge.

Images flashed through his mind, of his friends afraid. Of Ashido, the fear he could see. That same anger he felt earlier, it welled up inside of him. His blood was boiling, and his eyes began to glow a shimmering green.

 _"I will make sure they don't have to be afraid!"_ He declared in his mind, making himself a promise, and charged forward to meet the Monster once again, _"I'M NOT SCARED OF YOU!"_

Noumu slammed into him, but Kaiji absorbed the brunt of the attack with the shoulder of his broken arm. The spike on his shoulder sunk deep into the monster, locking him in place. He carried forward, picking up speed and smashing right through the fountain in the center of the courtyard. But Noumu did not stay down for more than a moment. Kicking Kaiji in the chest hard enough to throw him off. The titan hitting the concrete hard, but he forced himself up once more on shaky legs.

 _"Come on, where are the teachers!"_ Midoriya thought as he watched, clenching his fist tightly, "Kaiji can't do this alone!"

"Midoriya stop!"

Noumu shrieked, charging his weakened target once more. Kaiji attempted to move, but stumbled, gagging as another spurt of blood erupted from his long mouth. The punch would land and he was going to take it full force!

"SMMMAAAASH!" Noumu was blasted by a mighty gust of wind, sliding back as it interrupted his charge. Kaiji's eyes darted to the boy, he'd fired another shot with the fingers on his working hand. His index finger totally busted now, "Kaiji! RUN!" Noumu regained his footing, and charged Midoriya this time, aiming to crush him.

 **"GRAAAAAGH!"** Kaiji roared and lunged forward, sinking claws into Noumu before he could reach Midoriya. He brought the Monster to a grinding halt, **"M-Midoriya... ATTACK!"** He roared out, blood flying from his mouth, before he clamped his jaws down on Noumu's neck. Trying rip out the flesh, and break his spin.

"A-Adachi..." Midoriya clenched his teeth, "Okay... HANG ON ADACHI!" He shouted, rising his hand, "SMASH!" Another blast fired, slamming Noumu with another blast of power.

The Monster started to struggle, throwing an elbow back into Kaiji's already broken ribs causing him to cough blood, **"GRAAGH! AGAIN!"**

"SMASH!" The shockwave was unleashed once more, Kaiji dug in to make sure Noumu was forced to take the brunt of it, "SMASH! SMASH!" Midoriya fired for each finger he could on his good hand. Noumu's body taking every hit, showing little sign of damage as he absorbed the attacks, "I-It didn't even faze him... KAIJI! YOU HAVE TO GET AWAY!"

The beast used his mighty strength, turning and slamming Noumu deep into the concrete, hoping to entrap him. In the resounding explosion of dust and debris, he jumped back towards Midoriya, making sure to stay between him and Noumu's crater. He stumbled forward onto his knees, body starting to give out completely. While the sinister shrieking of that monster signaled he was getting back up. Breaking out of the concrete like it was nothing!

"That was fun to watch, you two are quite something." Shigaraki said with mild amusement, "But, we are done playing around..."

 _"I can't... Give up now... C-Come on body, just move!"_ Kaiji clenched his clawed fist tightly, blood running from his palm as he put all the energy he had remaining into his hand, _"I have to keep standing! So they don't have to be afraid! So they have hope! I'll beyond the limits of my body! I can go beyond my doubts and my fears!"_

"End it, Noumu."

 **"GRRAAAAGH!"** Kaiji roared, lunging forward and aiming his fist at the monster, **"PLLUUSS! UL-"**

A fist to the jaw silenced him instantly, teeth and blood flying as Noumu uppercut the giant lizard. The blow carrying far more power than before, knocking Kaiji right off his massive feet and into the air. Noumu jumped up to meet him, punching him harder and sending him higher before grabbing him by his working arm. As he crushed the elbow joint with his grip, he spun around and threw Adachi as hard as he could.

"ADACHI!" The students watching cried out, as he crashed into the stairs between Midoriya's group and the others at the top.

 _"That attack... Did he break my neck? I-I can't feel anything... I can't move..."_ As he rested in his crater along the stairs, silence filled the area finally. Dread setting in once more for the students, and when Kaiji didn't move at all they feared the worst.

"Well, that was fun." Shigaraki said in a casual, shrill voice, breaking the silence. "Now, if there are no other volunteers... Noumu, finish-"

A explosive crash came from the entrance way, doors flying right off the hinges and sunlight shining through. As a single, broad figure walk through. Dressed in a suit, jacket off and clenched tightly in his fist, All Might had entered the facility.

"A-All Might! He's here!"

Kaiji heard the cries of joy, but he couldn't smile. He could feel his body reverting back, and he was too injured to move. All Mights voice echoed as he made way towards them, stepping towards the stairs, "I knew something was wrong when Aizawa and 13 weren't answering my calls... I was on my way here, when I ran into Iida who told me of the villainy at work here!"

The man passed 13, making his way down the stairs. Stopping briefly by Kaiji as he went, eyes quickly darting to Sato, Shoji and Aizawa. _"I can't believe this all happened while I was resting... I can't imagine how scared these children must be, how hard they must have fought alongside my colleagues to survive..."_

 _"What was..."_ Kaiji thought, for a brief moment there was a flicker of Light in All Might's eyes. But it wasn't some shine of courage, or vigor, there was no confident smile on his face. For the first time he'd ever seen, All Might was angry. And somehow, that scared Kaiji far more than Noumu ever could.

"Have no fear students," All Might said, reaching up and ripping off his tie, "Because **I** am here!"

Everything moved so fast. He felt someone grabbing him, and suddenly he was at the top of the stairs once more with his friends around him. He silently looked down upon Kaiji, his broken body reverted to human form, "I am here, and I will make them pay for what they've done." He assured, nodding to the boy and the others before he began walking down the stairs.

The dazed young boy barely even registered who was crowding around him. He felt someone checking over his wounds but his eyes were blank, vision blurry.

"Kaiji!" He was brought back to reality by that voice, that familiar voice.

"A-Ashido..." He managed, his voice was raspy, like his throat had been injured as well, "Are you... Is everyone okay?"

"Don't worry about anyone else," She ordered barely holding back more tears, carefully wiping some of the blood from his face, "Everyone's gonna be okay, All Might is here now! He'll take care of this..."

"I-I'll... Do better..." He muttered on the edge of consciousness, "N-Next time... You... You won't have to be..." His eyes fell shut as he trailed off.

"KAIJI!" She screamed, fearing he had just passed.

"Calm down," Uraraka cut in, giving her a soft smile, her own tears just freshly being wiped away, "He's okay, just unconscious... All Might will take care of this, and we'll all make it back."

Ashido sniffled, nodding her head slowly as she looked down at her crippled friend, "Kaiji..."

 **. . .**

When Kaiji opened his eyes again, he saw a white ceiling overhead with bright lights. He could feel something on his face, a breathing mask, as well as a blanket over his lower body. Bandages covered much of his form, and the slow beeping of a nearby heart monitor, as well as the IV in his arm, told him he was definitely back at the UA medical ward. Based on the light coming through the windows it was evening, hours must have passed since the incident and the sun was almost completely gone.

 _"He must have done it,"_ Kaiji thought, a single tear rolling over the corner of his right eye while a smile crept across his lips, "All... Might..."

 _"When he showed up... Nobody was afraid anymore... They all had hope,_ " Kaiji thought to himself, remembering what he could, _"I... I want to be like that... I want to inspire my friends to not be afraid... To hope."_

The door to his room opened, causing him to try and look towards it but moving his neck sent a sharp pain through his body, "Ah, you're awake, good." It was that kind old lady, Recovery Girl, "I was worried you may have been knocked into a coma, or maybe some kind of hibernation while your body recovered... Never too sure with you regenerative types."

Kaiji moved a little, attempting to adjust himself but she held him still, "Ngh! I-Is everyone else okay?" He asked, wincing in pain.

"Only a few of your classmates were seriously injured," Recovery Girl explained, "And compared to you, none were that bad... Aside from Aizawa... Mezo Shoji had all six arms broken, but I managed to get those patched up pretty well, Rikido Sato is still in need of some rest and recovery after his arm bones were shattered," She went on, looking over a clipboard nearby, "And Midoriya's no worse than usual, busted his legs and his fingers... Reckless boy."

"Wait... How did Midoriya-"

"And you!" She jabbed a finger at him, "You are in big trouble, the Principal is going to have a word with you, lying about your Quirk," Recovery Girl scoffed, shaking her head, "That reckless transformation-"

She was interrupted as the door burst open, "Out of my way I was his best friend first!" Kirishima barked, storming into the room and stopping only when Recovery Girl got in the way. The figures of Shoji, Sato, Asui, and Ashido followed behind him, quickly filling the room. None of them were in their costumes anymore, having changed back to normal clothes. But Shoji and Sato had bandages all over their arms, castes as well to keep them stable.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Recovery Girl exclaimed, "Who said you could come in here?"

"Uh... You did, Ma'am," Sato answered bluntly, "Your exact words were to wait until he woke up."

"Aaaand he looks pretty awake to me!" Kirishim grinned, crossing his arms.

"Ugh, you children are too much." Recovery Girl sighed, "Fine fine, at least let me finish discussing the damage before you pounce on him."

"Yes Ma'am!" They gave a simultaneous, exaggerated salute.

She rolled her eyes, turning focus back to the injured boy, "Anyways... As I was saying, your body was not at all ready for that transformation. The physical strain alone shredded most of your muscles, and that isn't even counting your _actual_ wounds." She flipped over the page, shaking her head, "Broken ribs shattered arm, a crushed elbow, cracked spine, fractured jaw, nearly a broken neck! Not to mention the damage to your organs from working that giant body... You're lucky that your regeneration fixed those first... Anyways, you'll need to stay here tonight, and in the morning we will asses your health before the Principal talks to you." Recovery Girl stepped back from the table, setting her clipboard aside and sighing, "Alright, he's all yours, just be careful."

After the warning, she left the room. Kaiji looked at his friends, their original enthusiasm having burned out a bit after hearing the diagnosis. The tension was growing a little thick, getting uncomfortable.

 _"They didn't come here to feel bad, say something dumbass!"_

"So uh..." Kaiji began, nervous as they looked at him, "Anyone up for some sparring? Gotta get the hang of that form somehow right?" He asked, putting on as big a grin as he could manage.

"Maybe later tough guy," Kirishima chuckled, walking around to the window, "You've really been holding out Adachi, I thought that form was tough but you blew my expectations out of the water!"

"Yeah where was that power during our combat test?" Sato asked with a laugh, "Don't tell me you held back!"

"I may have been injured," Shoji added, "But I saw enough, that was crazy..."

"It was pretty cool, _ribbit._ " Asui noted, poking her head past Shoji and Sato, the two larger boys taking up a lot of room.

Kaiji's smile softened a little, "Thank you, everyone... But really, it took everything I had just to stay focused on Noumu," He explained, brow furrowing, "I could have just as easily hurt you guys."

"But you didn't," He blinked, eyes turning to Ashido as she stood at the foot of his hospital bed, smiling brightly, "You saved us, you kept us alive until All Might showed up."

 _"But I didn't do it alone..."_ He thought, remembering Midoriya's help. He might not have lasted as long as he did without the boys help, even if it was just a few extra seconds.

"You're a real Hero Kaiji," Kirishima smirked, hands on his hips, "Looks like I've got some catching up to do!"

"I watched your arms come off, that was pretty hardcore." Sato bluntly reminded.

Earning a pained laugh from Kaiji, "Can we maybe not talk about that, I'd like to try and forget that I'm walking around with a set of new arms."

"Uh, excuse me? Oh hey," All eyes turned to the door where Midoriya was sticking his head in, "Hi everyone, sorry I didn't realize you were all still here..."

"Hey Midoriya, how are you legs doing?" Shoji asked curiously, he and Sato making some room around the bed.

"I'm doing much better thanks to Recovery Girl," He nodded, a few bandages still on his face and arm. "I was actually hoping to talk to Kaiji, something I noticed when he transformed that's been bugging me."

Kaiji quirked an eyebrow, "Oh, yeah sure Midoriya, you saved my life out there I'll answer whatever I can."

"Hey, you don't owe me anything, I was just curious as to where you get your powers from?" He asked as he entered fully, moving to a seat by the bed and giving his sore legs a rest, "I know your Quirk comes from your parents, and over all you have Aspects from both your parents don't you?"

"You've got an impressive eye," He chuckled a bit, before coughing roughly.

"Don't strain yourself." Ashido pouted, moving to his side and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I-I'm fine," Kaiji assured, clearing his throat before he continued, "My Dad was a hero, not super famous but you might have heard of him, his name was Colossus."

"Oh I've heard of him!" Midoriya's face lit up, "Yeah he wasn't on TV much, but he's done a lot of good work, though I remember reading he suddenly retired Sixteen years ago without a word... His Quirk was growing his body, mostly his muscles, getting bigger and stronger... Like Mt. Lady, only to a lesser extent, his growth focused on increasing his raw physical power rather than just size... Also there were rumors about regenerative abilities."

"Heh, you really know your stuff... Anyways, the retiring, that would be my fault," Kaiji chuckled nervously, his amusement dying out as he sighed, "You see, my Mom was... Less good than my Dad, ironically, she was my Dad's arch nemesis."

"YOUR MOM WAS THE JADE DRAGON!?" Everyone covered their ears as Midoriya exploded.

"Whoa, Kaiji you never told us that your mom was a villain, what gives?" Kirishima questioned, crossing his arms.

He shrugged a little, "Eh, Dad doesn't like talking about Mom's past... I respected his wishes, I'm not ashamed of my heritage or anything," He added quickly, "After so many years of fighting, something sparked between my mother and father, and he tried to reform her... It went pretty well, but she was kept in prison for some of her more outstanding crimes, allowed out on parole after a few years on good behavior." He went on explaining, "During that time, she and my Father got together and had me... Unfortunately, something happened after I was born, it was like my Mom snapped," He sighed heavily, "She went crazy, tried to take me and run away, I think she was afraid we'd be separated because she was a villain."

"I'm... So sorry to hear that," Ashido frowned, "But... What happened?"

"My Dad chased her down, he told me about it once, said it was his hardest fight," Kaiji explained, "During the fight, he tried to protect her when other heroes showed up trying to steal the glory... He ended up getting hurt, a back injury that later left him paralyzed... The hero responsible for doing it was reprimanded, and my Mother surrendered once he was hurt."

"Is she... Still around?" Sato asked curiously.

"She's alive, if that's what you mean," Kaiji answered simply, "But she's being held up north in a large prison in Tagua, we go a couple times a year to visit."

"Oooh so that's the weekend trips every summer," Kirishima chuckled nervously, "I'm surprised you never mentioned this, or that we never found out..."

"My dad isn't exactly social anymore, and we like to keep the fact we visit a notorious former villain to ourselves," Adachi rolled his eyes, "The only people that really know are other Heroes, mostly just the older ones... Uh, anyways, that's my story," He chuckled nervously, "Sorry, that got a little heavier than I meant it to, I don't mean it to sound sad its way in the past now," He assured everyone, "But well, now you know where my powers come from, my dad could change size and regenerate, and my mom was a lizard, dragon, thing."

"Sounds like your Dad had freaky tastes." Kirishima snickered, trying to help lighten the mood.

Kaiji's face turned beet red, and Ashido spun around in an instant, slugging Kirishima in the arm, "Did you SERIOUSLY just make that joke!?"

"Ow ow okay I'm sorry!"

Kaiji watched her barking at him, his eyes slowly swaying across the others as they chuckled. Chatting among each other as attention turned away from him. He felt a strange sensation creeping up inside of him. Without warning, he started laughing a little. It hurt a lot less now, and it slowly got louder. His laughter rising as everyone looked at him surprise.

"I'm sorry," He managed to say between his laughs, a few tears running down his cheeks "I-I'm just Haha So glad hahaha th-that everyone's okay!" Their concern melted away, turning to smiles as his laughter filled the room.

It had been a long, harsh day. And the fact that in the end, after all the pain and fighting, everyone could still smile like everything was fine made Kaiji happy. He wasn't afraid of his power anymore, he wanted to get stronger and tame it. Make that power an unbreakable shield, so the next time a monster like Noumu showed up, he could protect his friends, and nobody would have to be scared anymore...


	9. Calm Before The Storm

**Dekupapettomasuta: Thank you very much for the well detailed review, really lets me know where I'm doing and where I can work to improve. I'm glad you're enjoying it Deku**

 **Victorsmyname: As Deku pointed out in his review, the gore is generally gonna be a tool used for showing the relative gravity of certain villains. Considering in the anime you had Noumu snapping bones like they're twigs, surviving losing both an arm and a leg. I wanted to really display what a fight between two super powered monster can be. Of course gore won't be in every fight, and looking ahead Noumu's fight is by far the messiest.**

 **Thanks for the reviews again both of you! Now to finish editing and uploading this chapter on 4 hours of sleep :D**

* * *

"Alright, you're good to go." Recovery Girl said, stepping back from the bed, "Keep the bandages on for today, just to help keep things tight, your natural regeneration should do the rest but you'll likely be sore for a while, and don't stress your muscles too much... Just because they aren't torn anymore doesn't meant they're back to one hundred percent." She explained with a smile, "Also, before you go running back to class..."

The door slid open, Kaiji gasping as the tiny form of the Principal stood there, carrying a few papers, "Oh my looks who's up and about!" He greeted with a bright, yet formal smile as he stepped in, the door closing behind him, "Good to see our students finally health enough to get out of bed, we've all been quite worried, yes Mr. Adachi worried indeed!"

"Uh... Th-Thank you sir." Kaiji bowed his head respectfully, wincing slightly.

"Now now you just take it easy for today," He ordered, hopping up onto the bedside beside Kaiji, sitting on the edge. "I'm simply here because there is the matter of your potential expulsion that must be dealt with!"

"Expulsion!?" Kaiji exclaimed, eyes wide in shock.

"Why yes of course!" Principal Nezu smiled at him, setting the papers aside, "You see normally when a student comes here they must fill out a form just as you did, similar to the standard Quirk registry, and unfortunately you lied on yours leading us to believe your Quirk was far less that it was in terms of power and of course Danger, that is a Security Breach, young man." He wagged a finger at Kaiji, who's face was sinking more by the minute, "As you saw yesterday, Security Breaches are very, very, Bad."

"I'm sorry Principal Nezu," He sighed heavily, "I didn't mean to keep it a secret, I... I really never intended to use that power at all if I could help it."

"Now why would you go saying something silly like that?" He asked, standing up on the bed and staring at him, hands on his sides, "What you were capable of doing with that power was amazing, if not for your sacrifice many of the students could have been killed before All Might arrived, that is my understanding of the situation, what you did was absolutely astonishing!" He laughed.

Kaiji sweatdropped, "Uh... I'm sorry sir, I'm getting some mixed signals here... Am I being expelled or not?"

"Here!" Nezu handed him one of the papers, "I am well aware there was no malicious intent behind your secret, and after what you did at the USJ it would be, oh my, _criminal,_ to expel you! Don't you think?" He burst into light laughter at his own pun.

"R-Right, haha..." Kaiji didn't want to push it, so he forced a nervous laugh, "So what is this? A registration form?"

"Yes that is correct," He nodded, "A new Quirk Registry, please fill it out to the best of your knowledge, you may fill out a new one if you discover more about this power... But please do refrain from deceiving us again Hmm?"

"Y-Yes sir of course!" Kaiji nodded, happier than ever that he wasn't going to be expelled, he quickly got to work on the form.

"Once you finish up swing by your class and say hello! Everyone is still worried I'm sure, and Mr. Aizawa needs to explain the Sports Festival to you!" The Principal added, waiting patiently for him to finish.

"Wait, Sports Festival?" He blinked, "Uh... Why don't you explain that while I fill this out? Just in case I miss him?"

"Oh it would be my pleasure! Recovery Girl why don't you bring us some tea?"

 **. . .**

 _"I thought I would never escape that rodent..."_ Kaiji sighed, taking it nice and easy as he made his way towards Class 1-A. His body was still mostly covered in bandages aside from his face which only had a few patches, "Hmm, so two weeks..." He muttered, remembering what the Principal had told him, "It should only take another day or two to get back to one hundred percent... After that, I think I'll dedicate my training to..." He trailed off, looking up slowly as he saw the large crowd of people around the doorway to Class 1-A.

 _"Did I miss something?"_

"Adachi?" Kaiji blinked, turning towards the familiar deep voice, "Kaiji Adachi, you look like shit."

"Shinso!" Kaiji smiled brightly at him, that purple haired boy he'd saved during the Practical Exam, "Hey, I'm glad to see you here, with all the craziness that followed the exam I never got to find out if you made it in, you must be in class 1-B right?"

His polite smile turned to a bit a scowl, "Uh, no actually, I'm in the general classes..."

"Oh I-I," Kaiji flinched, looking away nervously, "Sorry, I had no idea..."

"Forget about it," He sighed waving him off, "So what happened to you?"

"Long story," Kaiji chuckled, scratching the back of his head, "Short version is I'm in class 1-A."

"Oooh so you were in that mess at the USJ," Shinso realized, looking him over once more, "I guess that explains why you look like you lost a fight with a freight train."

"Ugh, I wish... I don't think a freight train hits as hard as Noumu..."

"Noumu?"

"Longer story..."

 **. . .**

After talking with everyone about their plans for the Festival, Kirishima, Ashido and Kaiji headed home ready to train. They had two weeks to fill with as much training as they could, and they would make the most of it like everyone was. The three friends worked to balance out their weaknesses, hoping to get an edge over the other students that didn't have training partners.

Kaiji worked on his control over the "Beast", as Kirishima so eloquently dubbed it. He worked on classifying his forms into three stages, figuring out the strengths and weaknesses of them all, and practicing changing between them at will once he had a more stable control over stage three.

Stage One: His human form. Agile, capable of creating claws for weapons as well as hardening scales over his skin for protection. Strengths in fighting in enclosed spaces, or dealing with larger opponents. Definitely his weakest form, but it was still a good choice if he were to fight less powerful opponents, no need to go overboard after all... Steady regeneration.

Stage Two: The "Lizardman" As Ashido referred to him, but Kaiji just considered it the halfway point between his first and third stage. A Good blend of speed and power. Plus that tail was a great weapon for multiple foes, also acting as a third arm or leg. His scales were tough, but not unbreakable, heavy enough to slow him considerably compared to more speed based fighters. The worst part was his sealed mouth, the armored plating keeping it shut and preventing him from speaking so teamwork was difficult. Regeneration is faster, but drains stamina quickly.

And finally Stage Three: "The Beast", the form he knew the least about. Most of it was just observation, incredible strength but terrible speed. Looking back, the only reason Noumu even let himself get hit was because of those shock absorbers. After hearing from the others how fast it was, Kaiji was sure he could have dodged if he'd needed to. The spikes were a good weapon, and the size is intimidating. Regeneration happens as a single burst upon reaching the third stage, healing all wounds but stunting anything further while transformed. Talking is possible, but like absolute control of the form, it needed some work.

Kirishima was putting his hardening to the test. Sparring with Kaiji repeatedly, even taking a few blows in his beast form with only minor injuries. He was building up not only his durability but the amount of time he could stay hardened for.

And Ashido was learning from both of them, she was already stronger than most normal people physically. And thanks to her learning to surf on her acid she was well balanced and agile. The boys simply taught her better fighting technique in hand to hand combat, putting some skill behind her powerful punches.

By the time the second week was nearly over, only two days left before the Festival, Kaiji felt that he was ready to make a big impact. He had gotten better control, but he still wasn't sure about using it against other people. Either way his skills had improved, he felt stronger. His body seemed to be reacting to his training as well. Some actual muscle definition beginning to show on his thin frame after all this time.

 _"Does this have something to do with actually training in my third stage?"_ He wondered, looking at his hands and gripping them tightly as he stepped through the door into his home, "I'm home!" The response was silence, "Hmm, maybe he's in the study..."

As Kaiji walked further inside, he stopped seeing his father sitting at the table staring at an open letter.

"Dad... What's wrong?" He asked, quickly approaching the table.

"Oh!" He seemed startled, having been lost in deep thought, "I-I'm sorry Kaiji, I didn't notice you come in."

"What's up?" Kaiji asked, noticing the envelope and trying to read where it came from, "You were kinda spaced out..."

He sighed heavily, shaking his head, "I got a letter from your Mother." He said simply, surprising Kaiji, "She wants you to come visit."

"I- Wait, right now? But the Festival is in two days, we can't get up there and back in such a short time!" He exclaimed, most of those facilities in Tagua were not usually handicap friendly. Even if they were, getting him there and back was a hassle.

"You're right, _we_ can't," He answered, looking towards him, "However, _you_ can... And considering how much you've been exploring your Quirk, I think you should." He said, with a less than ecstatic look, "If you leave by tonight you'd be back the day before the Festival."

"You don't sound too enthused," Kaiji pointed out, crossing his arms, "What's the deal?"

"Eh, I don't know," He sighed, scratching the back of his head as he set the letter down, "It seems benevolent enough, but its so out of the blue, we make our trips during the summer when you're out of class... Then that mess at the USJ happened, and she knows you were involved! Maybe she's just worried and wants to see you, it was scary after all..."

Kaiji smiled faintly, "I'll go, I just need some extra clothes right?" He shrugged, patting his father on the shoulder as he walked by, "Try not to worry so much, I can look after myself."

His father quirked a smile as Kaiji made his way to his room to get ready, "Yes... You certainly can."

 **. . .**

Meanwhile, far away in an inconspicuous little bar...

"Though we may not have killed him, they will see this as a declaration of war."

"They will begin searching for information, we cannot allow them to learn too much."

"Shall I take the other prototypes and make an... Example of their festival?" Shigaraki asked, itching at his neck impatiently.

"Absolutely not... That place will be crawling with heroes and those skilled children... No, we will use their security increases, and preparations as time to strike somewhere else."

"..."

"Shigaraki, are you paying attention?"

"Of course master, just tell me where to go, and who to kill..."

"You're going to attack a highly secure prison, reports tell me that with their low crime rates in the city, on a day with such a big event going on they'll be running a skeleton crew, at best... Get some whoever we have left to start crimes across the city near the prison, once enough guards or heroes are lured away you will go in and break out our Noumu, he is too effective a weapon to leave in jail... We have a man on the inside that will help you get in as well, Kurogiri."

"Yes Master, it sounds like an excellent plan."

"Get in, free him, and get out... Perhaps we'll get lucky a few of the other high class villains will escape as well, but be careful Shigaraki." The Master warned, "The Warden is no push over... And we cannot lose you too."

"..."

"Shigaraki!"

" _Devious~_ I like it."


	10. Catching Up

**Dog: I'm glad you're enjoying it XD I don't think the story is really THAT good but I appreciate the compliment X3**

 **Heartburn: Thanks X3 but there's no rest for Kaiji yet, and we're diving right back into the chaos!**

 **This is officially the kick off for the first totally original arc of the story! I hope everyone enjoys!**

* * *

The trip was peaceful, taking a train ride across a big chunk of the country. Passing by cities, seeing different people and Quirks as he went. Though he was somewhat nervous, a few people recognized him from when they reported on the injured students from the USJ incident. And this was his first time out of town by himself, his first trip without his father.

 _"I wonder what she wants to talk about,"_ Kaiji thought to himself as the train rolled on, late into the night, _"We haven't spoken in person since before I joined the UA... And I'm sure Dad told her about what I did, hiding my power."_ He sighed, leaning back in his seat, _"She is either gonna give me advice, or kill me."_

He arrived in the city by early morning, deciding he'd head to the room his father booked first. Kaiji had never been able to sleep on trains, so he spent the night without sleep and needed to recharge the batteries before going to visit his mother. Luckily the hotel wasn't far from the station, and in a short hour after his early arrival Kaiji was passed out in a warm bed...

 **. . .**

Kaiji awoke to a phone call, groaning as he rolled over and grabbed the device from his bedside. He saw it was his father, "Hey, what's up?"

"Kaiji! Are you alright?" A frantic voice asked quickly.

"Uh... Yeah, why what's going on?" Kaiji could hear the concern in his voice, and started getting up quickly.

"Thank goodness... News reports have been going all morning about villains all over that district!" He exclaimed, "The normal trains are stopped for now, so you can't come back yet unless you catch the bullet train later, but maybe you should just stay put until this blows over?"

"Villains..." Kaiji muttered, flicking on the news to see, "I uh... Yeah, maybe I'll do that, after I go see Mom."

"Kaiji, I really think you shouldn't be out tod-"

"Sorry Dad, I didn't come this far for nothing!" He grinned, hanging up quickly. His grin instantly vanishing, "I am so grounded when I get back..."

Kaiji got dressed quickly, eating a small snack and washing his face before he was out the door. According to the news, the crime wave was widespread. Police were spread thin at the moment, and Heroes were working all over the city. Luckily the events were pretty spread out, so his path to reach the prison was clear and safe, so long as no new events sprung up.

The nature of the crimes was perplexing, large groups of thugs that seemed to have no real attachment to one another. They weren't gangs, and the crimes were so random. Hostage situations, robberies, shootouts with police, a few even claiming to have filled a building with bombs they were defending. Each of these crimes were putting innocent people in danger, forcing heroes to hesitate for fear of hurting civilians...

It was too coordinated, like someone was trying to keep them busy.

 _"Whatever, I'm sure the Pros have already figured that out,"_ He sighed, approaching the gates to the prison near the city center, "Hi uh... I'm here for a visit?" He asked, greeting the guard station beside the gate.

"ID please." He said lazily, taking the boys card and running it through the machine, "Oh," His interest perked a bit, "You're from UA right? Class 1-A?"

 _"Great..."_ He mentally sighed before nodding, keeping a polite smile, "I am yes, Kaiji Adachi." He said, tucking the ID car away as it was handed back.

"Nice work on beating those villains at the USJ," He said with grin, shaking Kaiji's hand, "You're here for Jade right? Yeah I'll have them bring her to the meeting area, go on in." He offered, the massive steel doors sliding apart.

"Thanks, you guys must be busy today with all the crimes." Kaiji noted, wondering if he could coax any information out of the man.

"I mean, yeah we've got people coming in like crazy... What kind of idiots commit crimes in a city centered around a giant prison?" He scoffed, shaking his head, "Not the smartest criminals, it does kinda stink though... We've had an amazingly low crime rate, usually all our prisoners come from out of town, but oh well... I heard All Might could be on his way to resolve them quick, I'd love to meet him but you probably get to see him all the time at that school." He chuckled.

"Yeah, he's kind of a goofball honestly." Kaiji chuckled, "A really righteous, amazing goofball." With that, Kaiji made his way inside the facility.

The prison was built to hold powerful villains, walls a hundred foot high around the giant pentagon shaped building. Cells of all kinds were found within, divided into sections for specific villain types. Five sections for the major Quirk types, with the main office, cafeteria and Wardens tower in the center overlooking it all.

Kaiji had met the Warden once before on a visit. An intimidating older man, he had an Erasure Quirk similar to Mr. Aizawa but it worked somewhat differently. His power was activated through touch, not sight, and lasted for a set amount of time. It was great for keeping down any rowdy prisoners without much effort. The old man was rough, but nice to him as far as he remembered.

As he walked the inner halls, nearing the center he noticed not many guards in the area. There was a line that he passed by with a row of restrained thugs, surrounded by police.

"Car chase down fifth ave, come on they need men to help set up the blockade!" Someone shouted, rushing out the door with several officers behind him.

 _"This is chaotic..."_ Kaiji noted, reaching the desk to the visitors area, "Hi, I'm here to see Shisui Adachi." He explained to the lady behind the counter.

"Hmm? Oh you must be her little boy," She smiled, "Go on in, she's already waiting for you." She assured, hitting a button to unlock the doors.

Kaiji grinned and nodded, heading through the doors. He had to descend some stairs, a few guards idly hanging around overhead for safety. The main room below had a few large tables with plenty of chairs for visitors to meet prisoners. As Kaiji reached the bottom, his eyes lit up as they locked on his Mother.

She was a beautiful older woman with sharp features, she had been taking care of herself well in this prison. Her skin was somewhat pale but she had toned muscles, and beautiful long jade green hair bound into a pony-tail. She was wearing the simple orange jumpsuit the Prison offered with her sleeves rolled up and the front unzipped showing her white shirt underneath. Her own bright green eyes locked onto him as he approached, "Kaiji! I'm glad you were able to make it safely." She greeted warmly, standing up from her seat, "Was afraid you'd chicken out!"

As he stepped forward, she pulled him into a tight embrace. The two shared the hug for a moment, "Its great to see you, I've got so much I couldn't explain in the letters." His voice muffled a bit.

"I wanna hear everything," She replied, releasing him, "It'll be a welcome distraction to all the chaos here today... But first."

 ***BAM***

"Hey!" The guards began shouting as she punched Adachi on the head.

"It's tough love!" She shouted back at them harshly, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at Kaiji, the boy whimpering and holding his head where she'd punched him, "What were you thinking hiding your Quirk like that?! You're lucky you weren't expelled!"

"Ugh, that smarts!" Adachi grumbled, already feeling a bump, looking back at her and laughing nervously, "S-Sorry, I know I messed up... But I've started training with it more now! I was getting ready for the big Sports Festival."

"Tch, geez, what has that Father or yours been teaching you?" She sighed shaking her head, "I knew I should have gotten training time in once your quirk manifested... Hmm, sit, lets talk about that fight you had in the USJ." She smirked, walking around to her side of the table and sitting with her arms crossed, "And how exactly you left it, in what was basically a full body caste."

Kaiji felt his smile returning, taking a seat at the table, "It was pretty rough, most of the criminals there were just low level thugs! But there were a few scary ones, one was called Shigaraki I think, he could turn things to dust just by toughing them!" He exclaimed, "He disintegrated both my arms!" He noted her rather surprised expression, and changed his tune a little, "Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself... So there we were, just arriving to do some rescue training with the hero 13!"

Shisui listened with rapt attention, as Kaiji went on explaining his battles with the Wolf Pack, and Kodiak. She seemed impressed by his quick thinking with the Bear man, using his weakness against him. When he got to the part in the courtyard, where things got more serious she remained calm as he explained. Shisui was carefully watching his expression, noting changes to see if he had been at all traumatized by the event. Pleasantry surprised by how upbeat he seemed, the kid had a knack for crime fighting and his desire to beat bad guys was only emboldened by the USJ attack.

Neither of them seemed to notice the guards listening with interest over head.

"None of us were a match for Noumu, that big monster flattened two of my friends in seconds, they were lucky to still be alive." He explained, eyes burning with intensity, "But thanks to Mr. Aizawa, and Ashido, I had the courage to transform into the third stage... I managed to hold off Noumu long enough for All Might to arrive, but I passed out before I could see anything, though I guess he cleaned up after that." He chuckled nervously.

"What, no crazy details about your fight with the monster?" She asked, smirking as she crossed her arms, "That certainly seems to be the moment you're most proud of."

"Heh," He bashfully blushed, "To be honest, I wasn't much of a match for him, and I didn't know anything about my form so it was pretty much a slugfest." Kaiji shrugged, "I punched him he punched me, I bit his arm off he grew it back..."

"You bit his arm off?" She blinked in surprise, putting on a big grin, "Well would you look at that!" She reached across the table and ruffled his hair, "My little man's a scrapper!"

Kaiji blushed with embarrassment, "Th-Thanks Mom..."

"Ha! No, thank you! Kaiji," Shisui replied, pulling back her hand as she smiled at him, "I was really worried about what might happen to you at UA, because of me being your Mother, but your teachers seem nice, and you're growing into a fine young hero."

His chest swelled with pride, "You really think so?"

"Of course, I couldn't be more proud of you," She replied with a nod. Before her regular, mischievous smirk returned, "So, Ashido and Asui eh? Sounds like you've made friends with a few girls~"

His pride was replaced by a beet red face, "O-Oh please Mom! With all the crazy stuff that's been going on, that's the LAST thing I'm thinking about."

"I know I know," She waved him off, "I'm just teasing... To be honest, one of the reasons I wanted to know how you were doing so badly, was because I saw that big guy when they brought him in... Noumu, that freaky bird face gave me the creeps! I was afraid you may have been traumatized."

"Yeah, he seemed a lot less scary with my friends behind m-" He stopped, registering her words as something fell into place, and the gears began to turn in his head, "Wait, Noumu... Is here!?" He exclaimed, standing up suddenly.

"Uh... Yeah, they've got him in maximum security containment." She replied, confused by his change in posture.

"We need to warn the guards!"

 _"It all makes sense now! The attacks, the thugs, the guards leaving, the crime spree spread out so far!"_

"Hang on Kaiji!" She placed her hands on his shoulders before he could run off, "What's going on? Why are you so spooked? Its not like he can escape, that cell could probably even hold All Might."

"Mom, that monster was made to _kill_ All Might," He answered, staring into her eyes, "Why would the ones who made him just leave him here? And why now, would there be a crime spree in such a normally peaceful city? A crime spree so large, that guards and heroes are being called from the prison to help?"

It seemed to click, and her eyes widened in fear, "GUARDS!" She cried suddenly, the men up top stopped their idle chatting, "Alert the Warden! Someone is going to attack the Prison!"

"What?"

"Call back your extra guards now!" Adachi shouted, clenching his fists, "The crime spree is just a diversion! Someone is going to atta-"

The alarms sounding cut him off, lights flaring to warn them what was going on. The guards started scrambling as an automated voice sounded over the loudspeaker.

 ***UNIDENTIFIED INTRUDER DETECTED IN CELL BLOCK D***

 ***UNIDENTIFIED INTRUDER DETECTED IN CELL BLOCK B***

 ***UNIDENTIFIED INTRUDER DETECTED IN CELL MAXIMUM SECURITY CONTAINMENT***

"They are here for Noumu, their weapon," Kaiji clenched his fists tightly, "We've gotta stop them!"

"Whoa cool your jets!" Shisui ordered, grabbing his arm and yanking him back, "The police and Heroes will handle this! You should get to safety, this isn't like the USJ, you don't need to be in the middle of-"

She was cut off as a familiar form began to emerge from a rift in the center of the room, "Aaah, young Kaiji Adachi... What a pleasure it is to see you again." Kurogiri said in his deep, condescending voice, "Come for another trip to the hospital?"

Out of instinct, Kaiji moved between him and his mother, "What do you want!?"

"Oh, nothing with you... I simply came to leave a present for the Warden." He chuckled, as a new form emerged from the rift.

Kaiji felt himself stiffen, watching as a creature with no top half of his head stepped through the gate. It wasn't as big as Noumu, but it had muscle, a brain resting in its remaining bottom jaw, and torn blue pants over his jet black skin, _"A-Another one!?"_

"Get them." Kurogiri ordered simply, before vanishing into his warp gate.

"SCRAAAAA!" It howled, launching itself at the Mother and Son.

 ***UNIDENTIFIED INTRUDER DETECTED IN WARDEN'S TOWER***


	11. Assault On Tagua

**Havarti2: ?!**

 **VictorsMyName: I hope so too! XD Here's hoping I can keep this hype train rolling!**

 **Phoenix X 2: Now here is something I've been waiting for to be asked lol I'll be blunt in saying that Kaiji's power in Beast mode is the absolute strongest he'll ever be, that is his 100% Power, he will never get stronger than that in that form. HOWEVER! He will find ways to make his other forms stronger/draw more power from his final form, but I'll let that be explained in later chapters X3**

 **As for his strength in comparison to others, no he is not as strong as All Might lol Realistically he wasn't even close to Noumu, his ability to hold his ground was just because of his durability. He was basically just a punching bag that hit back. And also remember, as far as his final forms strength goes, he is at a criminal disadvantage against ranged attackers, or people who are very fast. His monster form is a bruiser, nothing more. But his other forms will develop some interesting new things as the story goes on so sit tight!**

 **Heartburn: Here's hoping I don't let you down!**

* * *

"Kaiji get back!"

"MOM!"

She had thrown him out of the way, the Noumu slashing at her the moment he had been thrown aside. Shisui cried out in pain, falling back on the ground as the monster lumbered over her, "SCRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" It howled, echoing up the wardens tower.

Kaiji looked to his mother, seeing blood running from her arm. His blood began to boil, "Get away from MY MOTHER!" He roared, charging forward. His training paying off, as he transformed mid sprint, cutting seconds off his change time as he slammed into the beast. Pushing it right into the wall, the creature howling and trying to break free, but struggling against his weight.

 _"He's not as strong as the last one! I-I can over power him!"_ Kaiji realized, he dug his nails into the monsters arm to lock it in. Before spinning and throwing it as hard as he could, the creature smashing into the vending machines at the far side of the room, sending snacks and drinks everywhere. While Kaiji turned attention to his mother, rushing to her aid.

"Ngh! W-Wow... You didn't even hesitate to act..." She winced, gripping her bleeding arm, "You really have become a hero..."

He snorted, ignoring her comment for now he handed her some of his shredded shirt, _"That should make a good enough bandage and tourniquet until we get you a medic."_ He thought, knowing she would understand before he pointed out the door behind them.

"Go? Ngh! A-Absolutely not! I'm your mother Kaiji, I won't leave you here with that thing!" She argued, fire burning in her eyes. The Noumu hissing in anger, as it rose to its feet, "I am not some pathetic civilian!" Her skin began to turn color, her arms becoming coated with jade crystals while her eyes glowed, "I am the Jade Dragon!"

"Scraaag!" The Noumu howled, charging.

 _"Alright_ Mom," Kaiji's own eyes burned with pride as he charged, his mother following behind him, _"Lets take him together!"_

Kaiji took the charge, locking hands with the beast while it screamed in his face. Holding it back with his strength. Shisui jumped off Kaiji's back, spinning in the air bringing down her boot hard on the beasts brain, causing it to stumble back in pain holding its head. Shaking it off, he tried to charge her, but Kaiji broadsided the monster, wrapping his arms around its body and squeezing hard, listening to bones crack before throwing it to the ground.

 _"If that snapped the spine, it should be immobilized."_ He thought, but his hopes were dashed as the crackling of bones sounded. The beast slowly rising as its body healed, _"Damn! This one has regeneration too!"_

He kicked it as hard as he could, sending the creature rolling away before it could get up, as his mother ran up beside him, "Kaiji! Whats the deal? That thing just healed itself? Didn't the one at the USJ do that?"

Kaiji nodded his head, watching the creature as it rose to its feet, _"And who knows what else it can do, the one from before was designed to kill All Might, what was this other one designed for? Or maybe it's a prototype? I can't know for sure, but this thing is dangerous..."_

"MEN MOVE IN!" Came a deeper voice from behind them, the guard captain shouting as row upon row of reserves charged with riot shields up. Moving right past Kaiji and Shisui, quickly surrounding the Noumu, "Contain!" Shots fired from the guards, unleashing waves of wire mesh nets that wrapped around the Noumu. Entangling his writhing form as the captain approached the two of them.

"Are you both alright?" He asked quickly.

Kaiji reverted to normal, "She's a little cut up, but I'm alright, what's the situation with the attack? Have they freed Noumu? Is the weird guy with the hands here?"

He seemed surprised by his knowledge of the situation, "Uh... We've got guards defending his cell, an intruder has appeared in the Maximum Security Block but he hasn't gone after Noumu." He explained with a nod, "However, we've also got two more of these things running rampant in other cell blocks, reports say they're attacking indiscriminately, prisoners and guards alike."

"Well that's just great." Shisui scoffed, shaking her head as her reptilian features reverted, "Hopefully they're all as easy to catch as this big dumb bastard."

"Captain! You should not be chatting, you need to get to work." Kaiji followed the voice, looking straight up as a large man came landing down on his feet. He was as big as ever. Body covered in muscles and scars showing off his age. He had a bald head with a thick white beard that nearly reached his waist. He wore a black Gi with white belt and wristbands.

"Warden Komaji!" Kaiji beamed, glad to see he was taking charge.

"Young Kaiji, Shisui, I am pleased to see you are unharmed," He nodded, "My men will handle this creature, you two should get to safety, I'll nullify his Quirk and we can be done with him..."

"That's won't work!" Kaiji exclaimed suddenly, "These things, like the one that attacked the USJ, they have more than one Quirk! That's what Midoriya said, and this one has regenerative powers, who knows what else it might-"

"SCRAAAAGH!"

"Agh! I-Its tearing through the net!" A guard shouted, "Fire another round! Its making itself bigger! We have to contain it!"

"Sir," Kaiji ignored the chaos for a moment, "With all due respect, they came here for the Noumu from the USJ, these are just distractions, as is the crime spree going on outside." He explained calmly, "Call back whoever you can, we have to stop them from freeing Noumu, if that thing is allowed back into their hands All Might will be in danger!"

His sharp, calculating eyes did not shift. Not until the creature finally broke free, having expanded its body so it was much larger now. It howled wildly, lunging at Kaiji and his mother after tossing aside the guards like toys.

"Mom get back!" Kaiji ordered, preparing to transform again.

"HYAAGH!" The boy watched in awe, as Warden Komaji grabbed the charging beast by the wrist, driving a knee into its stomach before spinning and throwing it against the wall, "Hmm... You are a smart boy, most of what you've said I've already figured out but I'm surprised a child could piece it all together."

"Oi," Shisui interrupted with a proud grin, "That's not just some kid, that's MY son! And he's a UA student!"

The Warden's laughter boomed throughout the room, "That he is! But the unfortunate fact remains, even if the crimes outside are diversions, there are still innocent people in danger, we cannot simply call our heroes back and let the criminals run rampant... We are on our own for now."

Kaiji frowned, clenching his fists tightly, _"I hadn't even thought of that..."_

"So what do we do, sir?" The captain asked calmly, "We've only got one other hero on duty right now, and our guards are no match for these things, nearly half the force has already been injured last time I checked in."

"Yes... Kaiji!" He turned to the boy suddenly, "I'm sending you to Noumu's block, you must make sure he does not escape."

"Y-You're trusting me with this?" Kaiji asked, eyes wide with shock.

"You have more experience with these things than anyone here," He reasoned with a short nod, "I trust that you can hold out until we clean up these monsters... Shisui, I can feel those eyes of yours burning into the back of my head."

Kaiji shifted his gaze, his mother looking like she might just about punch out the Warden any second, "I don't like it... But it makes sense, I'll go with you."

"Very well, and I shall join you once I finish up here." He smirked, stepping forward as the Noumu staggered to his feet, "Captain! Leave protecting my tower to me! Aid the Heroes!"

"Yes Sir!"

 **. . .**

Back in their hometown, Kirishima was just finishing up a final day of practice with Ashido. The two walking into his home to grab some lunch before splitting, "You've really improved," He noted, speaking of her combat skills, "You probably don't even need us to save you anymore." He teased.

"Last time I checked you've never saved me," She rolled her eyes, "But I did however, rescue you from the big scary monster."

"You mean Kaiji?"

"Yeah."

The two shared a laugh, while Kirishima tossed her a bottle of water from the fridge, "Speaking of... I wonder how he's doing up there?" He questioned aloud, "I heard there was some kind of crazy crime spree happening."

"Yeah, I hope he's okay," Mina added with a frown, "Why don't we check the news? I'm sure that whole mess has been dealt with by now." She shrugged, grabbing the remote and flipping on a small TV.

"-aking News on the crime spree in Tagua City, a crime spree some are now calling the Assault On Tagua," The man behind the desk said, immediately drawing attention from the two young heroes, "We've gotten word that an invasion of some kind has begun in the Tagua Maxumim Security Prison, our chopper overhead captured this video!"

The screen changed, to the view of a shaky chopper cam. It was over the prison, two people seemed to be fighting in the air, one unleashing bolts of energy, while the other shrieked, chasing after the man at high speed. Though, as the image zoomed in, both Kirishima and Mina gasped. Another creature like Noumu, a chunk of its head completely taken up by its exposed brain. This one however, had bird like feet, talons, and large wings on its back, hunched over like some creepy gargoyle.

"As you can see, one of the few remaining heroes in the prison is battling this strange brain villain," The reporter went on, "And though we are not sure, we have reason to belief more of these things are inside, as ambulances arrive to take away wounded guards or prisoners... The heroes of Tagua are working diligently to put down the crime spree so they may assist, but after this long day of fighting they are well worn and their numbers are thin... It may take everything Tagua has got to remaining standing in wake of this-"

Kirishima muted the TV, the two standing in silence for a moment as they looked to one another, "We... We have to go..."

"I agree, but it would take hours to get there by train." Ashido replied, her voice a bit shaky.

"What about the bullet train!" Kirishima suggested, quickly checking the time, "It only runs through town once a day, but it'll be here in twenty minutes! We've gotta get to the station!"

"That'll still over an hour even without other stops!"

"Better than nothing now MOVE PINKY!"


	12. Faith In A Boy

**Haravarti2: Good question, to be honest I would be more general and just say "Reptile" lol Maybe "Primal Reptile?" "Reptile Monster"?**

 **Dog: LOL! Don't worry about that, I don't attend school, a little too old for that you see, you're dealing with an older woman~ ;3**

 **VictorsMyName: Don't worry, in this fight there is maybe one, possible two moments of gore but they are not nearly as intense as the fight with Noumu IMO.**

 **Heartburn: Thanks that means a lot to hear X3 Tbh I have considered updating twice a day because I have chapters completed all the way to 33 LOL XD**

* * *

Kaiji was panting as he ran, the guard captain had given him instructions to the Maximum Security Containment area before leaving to take command of the remaining forces. Shisui followed close behind him, keeping powers at the ready to fight as they crossed the facility. And while they ran, the Warden was fighting that Noumu in the meeting hall. Kaiji was worried about him, but knew this was their best course of action...

"Lookout!" Shisui tackled Kaiji to the ground, as two figures crashed into the doorway they had just come out of when they entered the open yard, "Geez kid you've gotta work on spatial awareness!"

"I don't need t-" He stopped, blinking as he remembered running into Sato's fist. The Wolfpack Ambush, and running right into the Kodiak, "Well... Okay maybe, but what was that?"

A figure stumbled out of the wreckage, a thin man in a super suit. The torso was bright green, but the arms and legs were black. He had a gauntlet on his right arm that looked like some kind of cannon. He also wore goggles and a green cap over his face coupled with the kind of oxygen mask pilots wear. He had a device on his back that looked like a jet pack. He looked pretty beat up however, a few holes in his suit and some of his own blood on his uniform, one of his goggles cracked badly.

"Spitfire?" Shisui questioned, "The hell are you doing out here?"

"Fighting a weird bird monster," He answered bluntly, catching is breath as he walked away from the rubble of the doorway, "This your kid? The one from UA?"

"You bet your ass he is," She grinned, patting Kaiji proudly on the back, "You should see this kid in action, Kaiji this is Spitfire a new hero recently assigned here, hell of a time for that huh?"

"You're telling me, this stuff is crazy!" He exclaimed.

"Uh, Mom, the mission?" Kaiji reminded, sweatdropping, "Kind of life or death right now."

"Right right right," She waved him off, "Sorry Spitfire, you two can chat later we gotta go stop the handy man or whatever."

"Sqwaaaa!" The bird monster in the rubble broke free, hissing angrily at Spitfire.

"Yeah no problem," He waved, turning attention back to the monster as he raised his cannon, "I've got this bastard! We'll talk later!"

As the two kept running, Kaiji looked to his mother, "I can't believe how casual you two are right now..." Spitfire was a real champ, he looked so beaten, exhausted. And yet, he threw on a smile and chatted like everything was fine, because that's what a hero was supposed to do. Make you feel safe...

Shisui laughed, the two running past another cell block, "Kaiji I've been sitting in this lame joint for over ten years, with this cities low crime rate we never get any real fun around here!" She explained with a grin. She was no different, Kaiji knew that if she had her way, Kaiji would have left the moment the alarms went off.

"These things could literally kill all of us."

"The danger is invigorating!"

 _"You're more scared than I am, aren't you Mom?"_ He asked in his own mind, pushing forward, _"But you're still smiling, you're still going because you think you need to stay strong for me..."_

The sound of shattering glass made them slide to a halt, as a man was thrown through the window of the cell block they were running past. He was badly injured, whimpering in pain as he struggled to move, and sounds of alarms and yelling were coming from inside. Before the two could approach him, the third new Noumu stuck its head out the window. It was large, but somehow contorted and bent its body in a disgusting way to fit through, climbing onto the out wall before releasing a high pitched shriek.

Kaiji clenched his fists, "Alright fine we'll take this jerk out first! At least get these injured men out of- OW!" He yelped as his mother punched him on top of the head again, "W-What was that for!?"

"Maximum Security Containment is over there," Shisui said simply, rolling her shoulders with her eyes narrowed, "It kills me to leave you alone right now... But we'll be screwed if this thing follows us down there."

"What are you saying?" Kaiji asked in surprise.

She clenched her fists, every motherly instinct told her not to send him off alone. But she had to do what was right, "I'm saying... Get your ass in gear!" She spat harshly, "And be a hero! I'll handle this one!"

"KREEEEE!" The one on the wall howled, lunging at her as she charged.

"MOM!"

"GO KAIJI!" She commanded, opening her mouth and unleashing a torrent of Jade Green fire, the beast diving right into it and howling in pain.

 _"Mom..."_ He thought to himself, clenching his fists tightly before he turned tail and started running towards Containment, _"Spitfire."_ The injured man, still smiling despite how exhausted he looked, charging right back into battle, _"Warden Komaji!"_ An old man, with a Quirk that was basically useless against these monsters, "I won't let you down!"

 **. . .**

Komaji slid back, arms dripping a bit of blood as he absorbed the brunt of the beasts attack with a cross block. The monster howled and lunged once more to press the advantage. But the Warden counter attacked, sidestepping the claws and kneeing the monster right in the jaw before grabbing its arm, pulling hard and throwing the beast through another wall.

"This thing..." He panted heavily, the old man being worn down by this drawn out combat, "I can't decide which Quirk I'm nullifying, and I'm not even sure what other Quirks it may have besides the muscle growth and regeneration." He grumbled, cracking his neck as the beast got to its feet, "There must be a way to contain it, something it can't muscle mass or regenerate out of!"

The two charged one another gain, the beast going right for his throat with its claws. Komaji ducked under the attack and drove his elbow into the creatures ribs with bone breaking force, before spinning and delivering a roundhouse kick to its jaw.

"Hurry young Kaiji," He panted, holding his fighting stance, "I can't keep this up forever..."

 **. . .**

"Ten doors," Shigaraki sighed as his powers melted away another, letting it crumble into dust, "How many more of these things do I need to get through?" He grumbled, stepping over the pile and moving to the next. The Maximum Security Containment was no joke, the upper facility was nothing special, but then he had to take a lift far underground to rich this massive hall. The walls had been lined with auto-guns, but he took care of them easily enough. Now it was just chipping away through layer after layer of armor protecting Noumu's Cell.

"Tomaru," The voice of Kurogiri sounded, "The Noumu's have most of the guards and the few present heroes distracted..."

"Good good," Shigaraki replied in his shrill voice, "The chaos outside sounds beautiful~ Keep an eye on the Noumu's, pull them out the moment we have our symbol slayer here."

"Of course." Kurogiri nodded, phasing out again and vanishing. The warp gate villain was watching combat from afar, the last encounter was far too close and now they knew his weakness so he couldn't risk getting captured. He would keep an eye on the Noumu's, pulling them out when the time came...

"Now then, just a few more to go I think..." He placed his hand on the next door, beginning to crumble it away when the sound of the lift doors opening drew his attention, "More guards... Excellent, this was starting to get bor-" His voice hitched, stopping as he laid eyes on a familiar figure.

For a moment, Shigaraki forgot all about Noumu.

"HEY!" Kaiji cried out, spotting him at the far end, he ran forward into the hall, "Get away from those doors you freak!" He shouted, doing whatever he could to keep his attention, seeing how far he had already gotten, _"This is bad, I don't know how much is left until the release, but I don't have a lot of time if he's already this far!"_

Shigaraki started walking away from the doors and towards Kaiji, "You... You annoying BOY!" He snapped at him, scratching at his neck, "If it wasn't for YOU and... And that other boy, Noumu could have killed all of you! And then All Might would be DEAD!"

"Sorry, I've got no interest in dying young." He replied, keeping his calm, _"Oh man, Kirishima would have loved that line... Focus! I know he's fast, I've seen his Quirk so I know not to let him grab me... I don't know if his Quirk has limits, but he's already cut through so many doors, he might be getting tired! "_ Kaiji narrowed his eyes sharply, measuring the distance between them, _"I can do this!"_

"After what you did, you don't have a CHOICE!" He hissed, charging forward at inhuman speeds, like a demon hell bent on destroying him. But Kaiji didn't back down, charging forward as well.

"I won't let you get him!" He shouted, cocking back a fist, "This is to protect ALL MIGHT!"

The distance between them was crossed in seconds, everything seeming to slow down as Kaiji's heart raced. Eyes wide, he tracked the mans hand movements, _"He's going for my arm! Just like before!"_ Mid charge, he spun, transforming and slamming Shigaraki with his powerful tail knocking him right off his feet.

"Gah!" He gasped, managing to stop himself from slamming the wall. He landed on it with his feet, before boosting off with a hand outstretched.

 _"My Face!"_ Kaiji looked like he was about to take the attack, before lunging as well, _"You want my head? TAKE IT!"_ In one fluent move he brushed aside his hand redirecting the force of the grab before slamming his armored faceplate into the maniacs face. Though the severed hand absorbed the brunt of the attack.

The villain recoiled, before landing on his feet and jumping back. A single eye peering through his fingers, and burning into Kaiji, "You... How did you get so much stronger? What happened to you while I was recovering!?" He demanded furiously.

"Recovering?" Kaiji repeated, having shifted back to human form to maintain his speed.

"Oh of course, you passed out after your run in with Noumu," He snickered wickedly, though the amusement was quickly replaced with rage, "You didn't get to see that cowboy bastard with the gun SHOOT ME IN ALL OF MY LIMBS!"

He charged, a reckless attack aiming for Kaiji's face again. The boy back stepped, dodging it as Shigaraki landed before him. The man quickly reaching out to try and get a hold of the elusive child. _"Of course, this guy was fast enough to get the drop on Aizawa in the USJ, there's no way a few weeks of training could make me that much faster."_ He began to understand, quick stepping back and forth to dodge his grabs. Getting a hold of Shigaraki's fist before spinning and striking him with the backhand of his fist, nearly knocking the hand away from his face, the words of Recovery Girl ringing in his ears.

 _"And don't stress your muscles too much... Just because they aren't torn anymore doesn't meant they're back to one hundred percent."_

It all made sense now, _"He thinks I've gotten stronger, but the truth is he must not be fully recovered!"_

"Just sit still and DIE!" He screamed, reaching for Kaiji again.

"I won't just roll over!" Kaiji shouted back, ducking beneath the attack, "I'll never back down to VILLAINS LIKE YOU!" He threw his fist upward as hard as he could, uppercutting Shigaraki with incredible force, "You'll never free Noumu and you'll never defeat the Symbol of Justice!" He declared valiantly, panting slightly for breath as he brought his hand back and tried to move away from him.

 _"Oh no..."_ He realized, wide eyed with fear suddenly. As he felt Shigaraki's other hand wrapped tightly around his opposite elbow.

"Heheheh... You're pretty quick kid," He said deathly calm, as Kaiji started to feel the effect, his arm burning with pain as the skin began to flake away, "But, you don't take into account guarding yourself when you attack... You were so focused on my grabbing hand, you didn't even think about my other one!"

"Gah!" Kaiji gasped in pain, Shigaraki tightening his grip as the bones began to give way.

"Now you're DEAD!"


	13. To The Brink

**Deku: Lmao XD The bird monster wasn't supposed to be super intimidating that was a bit of a gag**

 **A Certain Triangle/Havarti: Sorry about the cliffhangers, I would probably feel worse about doing it if I wasn't updating daily XD**

 **Heartburn: Yeah I dislike the trope as well sometimes, luckily its only gonna get used once this story X3 Also as for Kurogiri, he's staying back as a cautionary thing. Remember his weakness was discovered at the USJ and that has likely been information passed around by now, so considering he is there way of escape, its safer if he watches from a distance until he is absolutely needed.**

 **Dog: Of Course! I wouldn't be as excited about writing this as I am if it weren't for all the lovely reviews! I love interacting with the fans X3 Hearing feedback and replying is fun!**

* * *

"Gaah!" Komaji gasped out in pain, the beasts claws sinking into his shoulder. The older man gripped its arm, trying to pry it free but the monster seemed to be driven on by his blood. Getting more ferocious the more that was spilled, maybe a Blood Lust Quirk?

Either way, the creature, turned and sent him flying through the walls of another office room. Their fight carrying them slowly up the Wardens Tower, through office spaces and across the walkways. As he went crashing through the wall, the ceiling above collapsed behind him. Sealing him inside the room from that angle, but also keeping the monster out for the moment.

The bloody and beaten old man staggered to his feet, looking through his one good eye to see where he was. It was the surveillance room, a few scattered chairs and dozens of computer monitors showing feed from all across the Prison. Injured men and women everywhere, criminals and guards alike. Fires spread in a few places, power was out and both guards and inmates were trapped.

This wasn't evil, this was chaos.

"Ngh!" He doubled over, gripping his bleeding ribs and leaning on a table for support. He put most of his weight on it, panting for breath. His Gi and cape were shredded completely leaving him in tattered pants. His muscular body covered in what would become a fresh set of scars if he actually lived through this. He raised his eyes to the monitors, watching the battles between Shisui, Spitfire, and the two other monsters outside.

 _"These things are easy enough to put down,"_ He grumbled to himself, catching his breath, _"But they keep regenerating... We need more bodies, we're losing a battle of stamina here to these war machines... If only we had more heroes! More fighters with powerful Quirks t-"_ His eyes widened as a thought came into mind, _"Could that work? Can we really trust... No, now isn't the time for second guessing."_ He narrowed his eyes, and limped to a terminal, tapping away at the keys as fast as he could.

 ***Please Confirm, Admin Level Code***

Warden Komaji took a deep breath, and uttered the words, "Activate Admin Level Block RELEASE! Password, Alliance!"

 **. . .**

"Get down dumbass!" Shisui shouted at the foolish officer, the man firing his gun at the lanky, bending Noumu she was fighting. His bullets either missed or bounced harmlessly off its skin. The beast turning attention to him and leaping, only to be broadsided by the mature woman. Enough force to push the beast away.

"W-Whoa... Th-Thank you miss!" He said, shaking with fear as he struggled to get up.

"Just get out of here you moron," She ordered, eyes narrowed at him, "Regroup with your men, and maybe bring some of those damn containment weapons!"

"Agh! Y-Yes Ma'am!" He yelped, quickly hobbling off.

As he fled, Shisui sighed heavily and returned her gaze to the beast, _"Kaiji wasn't kidding, these things are monsters... As far as I can tell, this stretchy bastard is made of rubber, none of my attacks deal lasting damage!"_

They were in the prison yard, where inmates were allowed out for a few hours a day to exercise and get some sun or socialize. But now it was a battlefield, tables and weights strewn across the ground along with whatever remained of the fences used to section off the area. And somewhere nearby, or above, Spitfire was fighting his own desperate battle. It had been torn to shreds by the battle, but she was doing everything she could to keep this monster away from the injured guards and Maximum Security. But Shisui herself was pretty well done in, body covered in various scrapes, bruises and cuts.

The monster screamed, slinging out both arms trying to grab her. The limbs stretching the entire gap between them as she jumped back, spitting balls of hot jade fire at the creature. He nimbly tumbled between them, closing the distance and punching her right across the jaw. She retaliated by lashing out with her hands.

"You picked the wrong day to mess with the JADE DRAGON!" She roared, jade crystals forming along her arms and creating viciously sharp gauntlets. She slashed away at its hands, slicing them off at the wrist and making the beast recoil, hissing in pain. Instantly the crystals dispersed, and Shisui stumbled back gasping for breath, _"Dammit... It's been so long since I've used my Quirk in a real fight! My body wasn't ready for this..."_

"NAAAGH!" It screamed, jumping at her once more.

 _"This thing won't let up!"_ She thought, trying to jump back but in the moment she moved a piercing pain shot through her leg due to an earlier injury. Causing her to stumble, losing all chance to avoid the attack, "Gah! N-NO!" She held up her arms in a futile attempt to defend herself.

"Hang on!" A burst of light came from above, blasting the creature right out of the air. Stunning it momentarily.

"Spitfire!" Shisui gasped, looking up at him with a relieved smile. But it faded instantly, as she saw the figure coming from behind as his back was turned, "WATCH OUT!"

"Aaagh!" Spitefire cried, as the flying Noumu's talons got a hold of him, shredding into his suit and gear with ease as it took him to the ground. The two crashing through a toppled table some distance away. The monster slashing at him with its talons over and over.

"Get off of him!" Shisui screamed, charging even as her muscles cried in protest. She took a deep breath and unleashed a mighty burst of flames, engulfing the creature at blowing it through a nearby guard towers supports. The tower itself collapsing on the creature, filling the area with dust as Shisui knelt beside Spitfire, "Hey! Are you alive? Come on you dumb bastard don't leave me alone with these things..."

The younger man coughed, blood running from his lips as he looked up at her, "Ngh! Sh-Shisui..."

"Hang on, I'll get you somewhere safe." She assured, about to grab him when the bird released a shriek, beginning to crawl from the wreckage. She stepped over him, preparing to protect him.

"Grrraaa!" The sound of the other drew her eyes, darting between them as they had her boxed in. She had no way of getting out of here with them surrounding her.

"R-Run, Shisui... Get out of here!" Spitfire coughed, trying to sit up.

"Shut up dumbass," She barked at him, struggling to form her jade crystals, "I... I'm not going anywhere..."

A new alarm sounding suddenly, bringing everything to a halt. A loud buzzing sounding from nearby as doors slid open with a loud metallic screech. A crowd of men and women stepping into the light, each and every one garbed in a prison jumper. As they stepped forward, a new voice sounded over the Prison Yards intercom.

"This is Warden Komaji," Shisui's eyes lit up, "In accordance with the Alliance Initiative, I offer an opportunity to all who stand against these monsters attacking our home!" He said with passion, "All who aid in the subjugation, and capture of these beasts, will be allowed an interview for potential early release and parole... Of that, you have my word... Good luck, and give them hell."

Shisui felt a tear roll down her cheek, smile spreading across her lips, "Komaji... You crazy old bastard..."

"Early release huh?" A large dark skinned man stepped forward. He was rippling with muscles, tattoos all over his body and a third eye on his forehead, "Well, I don't know about that, but I do know that we've got some freaks of nature tearing up our yard!"

"SCRAAAH!" The bird screamed at him, the two Noumu's turning attention onto the horde of approaching criminals. The bird jumped into the air, flying towards him at high speed like a hawk swooping in on its prey, talons at the ready.

"Let's go boys!" He commanded, a few of his boys spreading out while a sudden deep red beam of light erupted from his third eye blasting the Noumu right in the chest, knocking it out of the air, "Wrap up this freak!"

"On it boss!" Two men shouted, flanking the creature. One of them a tall skinny man with bug eyes. He lurched forward, opening his mouth and spewing a thick gooey yellow substance that covered the flying Noumu. The second one, a fatter man with a thick beard, roared as his beard grew rapidly. Entangling the thrashing beast as the goo started to harden.

"Sheesh, you'd think they'd have better capture Quirks at a prison." The leader smirked, eyes turning to the second beast, "Your turn monster!"

 **. . .**

"Don't you just _love_ the feeling?"

Kaiji winced in pain, struggling with indecision as his arm started breaking down. He tried to yank his hand away, but Shigaraki's grip was like a vice.

"The sensation of danger, imminent death coursing through your veins... Absolutely invigorating."

"Ngh! Y-You would probably get along well with my mother," He spat, hissing in pain as his free hand grew claws, "B-But fortunately, she's not into freaks!" He slashed up with his claws suddenly. Forcing Shigaraki to release his arm to retreat, but he didn't make it away unscathed. The maniac had several long slashes through his shirt, and a single claw had managed to cut skin leaving a trickle of blood slowly running from his torso.

Kaiji's arm went limp, as he slowly stepped back. The skin around his elbow was crumbled away, the muscle beneath was looking dry and decayed. He could barely feel anything below the shoulder but it throbbed with pain every few seconds. _"That was careless... I shouldn't have gotten overconfident like that, this guy isn't just some thug, he will kill me if I'm not careful."_ He reminded himself, panting for breath as he gripped his ruined arm.

"What's the matter? You had such bravado a moment ago... Where did all that go?" The villain asked, tilting his head with mock curiosity, "So what are you gonna do now huh? Fight me with a loose, easy to target arm? That sure does make my job easier... Maybe you'll transform, make up for your missing limb with that tail, and some more strength but... I think we've proven you aren't fast enough to take me in that state, so what will it be?"

Kaiji grit his teeth, and suddenly tore away the remains of his shirt with his claws.

"My my, what an interesting choice," Shigaraki snickered, staring at the shirtless boy as he began wrapping the tattered cloth around his arm, just above the decayed elbow, "But I must say... You aren't really my type~"

"Shut your filthy mouth," Kaiji spat, bracing himself as he grew his claws longer, _"You can do it... Just a few seconds of pain, just like before when he-"_ The image of both arms disintegrating flashed through his mind. After stuffing a piece of cloth in his mouth to bite down on, his raised his hand high.

"Oh my," Shigaraki blinked, "Are you really going t-"

"NnnnnGGYAAAAGH!" He screamed against the cloth, slashing off his own crippled arm just above the elbow. Luckily the decay made it easy to snap away the dried and crumbling limb. His eyes bulged with pain, but he bared with it, as blood spurted from the wound. Slowed considerably by his make shift tourniquet, and his natural healing was working rapidly to stop the blood loss.

The villain watched him for a moment, "Taking losing both your arms like a champ, fighting Noumu head to head, challenging me, cutting off your own arm..." He listed, amusement growing in his voice, "You are one cool kid... A shame I have to kill you now."

"As if you'll get the chance." He answered sharply, spitting out the rag. Sweating from the pain running through his arm as he stared down the villain, "You left out one option," His pupils narrowing to slits, "The the one where all the training I've done pays off!"

 _"This will be dangerous,"_ He told himself, clenching his teeth hard as he reached for that power inside of him, _"Rapid transformation already burns through stamina when I go into stage two so quickly! To reach Stage Three I'll have to sacrifice that burst of regeneration, good thing I kept him talking while the wound sealed itself!"_

"HRAAAAGH!" He cried, voice echoing down the hall as he rapidly started changing. Flesh and muscle tearing, bones growing and reshaping as he began growing and growing in size!

Shigaraki stumbled back, a tremble running through him, "No... You shouldn't be able to do that!" He declared, all amusement vanishing from his voice, "I-I thought... You would begin to change, a-and when you tried to change again I could-" He was starting to panic, watching the form of Kaiji becoming that same nightmarish beast that slowed them down at the USJ, "Gah! I am DONE PLAYING WITH YOU!" He reached for his communicator, "Kurogiri! GET DOWN HERE NOW!"

 **"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"** He roared, shaking the halls as the transformation finished. Though he was still missing the arm, Kaiji charged forward. The narrow walls being scraped and torn by the crystal spikes jutting from his back and shoulders, wires cutting and power failing around him. His heavy footsteps denting the floor, his tail thrashing about.

 _"This is it! He's finished!"_ He thought, closing the gap with his strides on all fours. He was too large for the villain to fit past, and there was only so much hall for him to retreat back to, Kaiji had the bastard trapped. _"YOU'RE DONE SHIGARAKI!"_

"Not so fast BEAST!"

He was going too fast to stop, the bright yellow eyes of Kurogiri appearing before him as a massive warp gate opened. Consuming Kaiji, and removing him from the Maximum Security Block.

As he vanished, in the silence that followed, Shigaraki released a heavy sigh and gripped his shaking hands to try and stop them. "That was too close... Now let's collect our prize."

 **. . .**

It was a familiar scene, when Kaiji was able to see again, he was falling.

Dropping from high in the sky, his eyes adjusting to reveal that he had been teleported above the prison. And from where he was, there was no way out but down. His speed increasing as he fell towards the prison grounds. He could see numerous figures in the yard, signs of fighting. Kaiji knew he'd be coming down right in the middle of it!

He had no good way of stopping, he was going too fast anyways. So he took a deep breath, and unleashed a thunderous roar. Seeming to give the intended effect, aside from two of the twisted figures, the yard cleared fast.

And then he made impact.

Shattering the earth with his incredible weight, and burying himself in a crater. Dirt and dust were sent flying, and the bystanders cried out in awe at the sight of the beast. In the moments following, when things began to settle down, Kaiji could hear someone rushing down into the crater.

"Kaiji! KAIJI!"

 _"Mom?"_ He recognized her voice, but he could barely move. Every bone in his legs felt like they had been shattered on impact from taking the brunt of the fall. His eyes were opened, and he watched her slide to a halt beside his head.

"Kaiji! Come on answer me, are you okay?" She asked quickly, placing her hands on his head and shoulder. Looking her over, he could see that she was injured too, "Shit your arm! Hey! One of you bozo's get those doctors over here!" She shouted to some people beyond his view, her eyes brimming with a few tears as she looked upon her broken son.

"Shisui lookout!" Someone shouted, Kaiji's eyes flicking past her to see the form of Shigaraki stepping out of a portal from Kurogiri. His heart sinking, as he saw Noumu step out beside him.

 _"I... I failed..."_


	14. Aftermath

**Fantasy.92: I may have a name picked out already who knows ;3**

 **Everyone Else: Now, I normally wouldn't note something like this here, but I feel with all the hype I should warn you. Temper your expectations, if you're expecting another battle between Noumu and Kaiji, at this point it would be just a repeat of what happened at the USJ lol The point of this Arc wasn't supposed to be Noumu Vs Kaiji Round 2 XD**

 **Also! Because of events that I have planned further down the line, SLIGHT STORY NAME CHANGE!**

* * *

"Kurogiri... Get the others out of here," Shigaraki ordered, eyes locked onto Kaiji and Shisui as the prisoners on the other side of the crater hesitated to make a move, "That was some good aim, you dropping right into this, gives Kurogiri plenty of room to remove my Noumu's from your grasp." He snickered, eyes fixating on the woman for a brief moment, "Mm, and this must be that mother you were talking about... An inmate, I suppose that explains what you're doing here."

 _"Come on, get up! MOVE!"_ He tried to command his body, muscles trembling as he struggled.

"Oh dear, seems you're having a bit of trouble moving," Shigaraki's voice was taking on a sadistic amusement, "Too bad... I guess I won't get to watch Noumu beat the life out of you again, looks like there isn't much left to kill anyways..." He sighed, shaking his head.

"You stay away from him!" Shisui snarled, standing strong between the two.

 _"Mom, NO!"_ Kaiji was trembling, every muscle in his body crying out in protest when he attempted to make a move. His bones crackling, brittle and splintered by the impact.

"Oh don't worry, I won't leave without saying goodbye," He sighed wistfully, "And what better way to leave someone who's irritated me, than by taking something he cares about!"

 _"NO!"_

"Noumu, kill her." He commanded, and the beast was gone in an instant.

 _"COME ON! MOVE YOU STUPID BEAST!"_ He demanded, using every ounce of his willpower to make some kind of move. He felt his bones giving way beneath his own weight as he got up, something inside him snapping as that familiar heated pain in his stomach returned. He managed to pull his mother back with one arm, and reached out with the other bracing for impact.

The collision sent a shock wave through the area, blow dust out of the crater. Forcing the nearby inmates to step back. While Shigaraki clenched his fists tightly, "You... You are really starting to get on my nerves today, _boy!_ "

Shisui looked up, having been sure that death was imminent. But her jaw dropped, as she saw Kaiji before her. On his knees between her and the charging Noumu. His remaining clawed hand was hanging onto the monsters arm, buried into his flesh, "K-Kaiji... What's happening to you!?"

The beasts eyes were glowing, as the jade crystals along his back began to brighten as well, and the burning in his stomach was becoming too much to bare! He felt it rising, churning rumbling tearing at him from the inside. His instincts demanded he act, but he wasn't even sure what would happen! He had to release this pent up power!

"Noumu!" Shigaraki exclaimed fearfully, stepping back as a terribly sense of foreboding fell upon his shoulders. He needed to say something, give some kind of order, but the manic villain was paralyzed with fear.

 **"You... Aren't going... ANYWHERE!"** Kaiji roared, inhaling deeply as he stood up over Noumu. The bio-engineered monster tried to pull away, but the claws were locked into him.

Kaiji opened his maw, and unleashed a blistering torrent of deep green flames. At point blank against Noumu's body, it began burning away at his form. Melting the flesh from his form as Kaiji sustained the stream. Shisui was forced to retreat from the crater as the fires spread, watching in awe with the others as he seemed to literally melt down the Monster. The fires kept spreading, swallowing Noumu whole and filling the crater with blinding bright green light!

And after that, it was over.

As the flames died, and Kaiji stumbled back, all that remained of Noumu's body was a burnt, smoldering corpse. Would it regenerate? Maybe. But for now...

 **"Your turn..."** Kaiji growled, taking a lumbering step forward, what few bones remained in his legs were snapping.

"Kurogiri!" Shigaraki barked, the portal creating villain knowing what he wanted and he wasted no time. The mission was an utter failure, the Noumu created to destroy All Might was either dead, or beyond their reach now. They had been so close, but Shigaraki's appetite to cause suffering had been his downfall here...

Luckily, they had managed to recover the three brought to attack the prison... So nothing was truly lost in this assault, aside from maybe some information. He wanted to kill the boy, tear him apart, but with his mother and all those prisoners backing him up... They had no chance of recovering Noumu now, not without risking being captured as well.

As they vanished, Kaiji fell flat on his face. Body rapidly reverting back to normal as Shisui ran towards him, "KAIJI!" She screamed, sliding to a stop by his body but she was too afraid to touch him. Worrying she could break whatever was left of his fragile bones. She looked into his eyes, and it finally overwhelmed her. Tears ran fresh down her face as she grit her teeth, "D-Dammit... Dammit dammit dammit DAMMIT!" She cried, wishing she had been stronger, wishing her son wasn't the one who had to do this...

Kaiji didn't appear conscious, his eyes were half open but they were empty. He had burned out too hard, draining his body terribly with that rapid transformation and using a new ability. It wasn't just his muscles and stamina like before, this time he had pushed himself far beyond the limit while in a weakened state. The repercussions would be severe...

"Shisui..." She raised her head slowly, looking to the injured Warden as he stepped into the crater, "Please, step back and let the medics take care of him... They will get him to the hospital." His voice was grim, but sincere.

She stood up quickly, wiping her eyes, "I'm going with him, I don't care if you have to cuff me or chain me up or whatever, I have to go!"

"I wouldn't dare try to stop you." He nodded his head, "But you need medical attention as well... An escort will accompany you, for both of your safeties... I trust you will not try anything." He added, before turning, and limping out of the hole. A few members of the medical staff filed in after him, surrounding Kaiji and getting to work, making it safe to move him...

Shisui watched, following them to the ambulance that would be taking him away, even as more arrived blocking the road. _"Kaiji... Please be okay."_

 **. . .**

It was late afternoon when Kirishima and Ashido arrived in Tagua via bullet train. The two wasted no time, rushing to the prison but by the time they had arrived it seemed like the fighting was over. Reporters and news helicopters had swarmed the place, ambulances were everywhere taking away guards or even prisoners that needed emergency care while the lesser wounded were dealt with on the spot to avoid flooding the hospital.

Fire trucks had been pulled into the Prison, putting out various fires as rescue teams worked to find anyone trapped during the destructive battle. Some of the heroes that had been working on the crime spree had returned, they were aiding as best they could but looked absolutely exhausted.

"Looks like we missed the party." Kirishima panted lightly, the two having ran all the way here.

"Lets get a closer look..." Mina suggested, the two moving in and trying to peer through the crowds, working their way around the edges and closer to the ambulances, "Look! Over there!" She pointed, seeing a beat up woman barking at some of the doctors.

"I don't care HOW hard it is to move the injured, get this damn van out of the way and GET MY SON TO THE HOSPITAL!" She roared, fists clenched tightly.

The man tried arguing, but was quickly stared down by her menacing glowing green eyes. Rushing off to meet her demands and get the ambulances moving. As Ashido and Kirishima watched, they noticed a familiar shape being moved by stretcher onto into the back of the ambulance.

"KAIJI!" Both of them shouted, jumping over the barricade and running towards him.

"Hey get back!" Two officers ordered, getting in their way.

"But that's our friend!" Ashido barked, trying to push past them, "Kaiji!"

"We're students with him at UA, please sir!" Kirishima pleaded, "We just wanna make sure he's okay!"

"Red head and pink girl?" The officer stopped, looking back to see the green haired woman approaching, "You two must be Kirishima and Ashido," She noted, looking them over, "Yeah... He told me about you, we don't exactly have a lot of room in the truck, but you can probably meet us at the hospital." She explained, watching as the trucks in the way were moved, "I've gotta go, but meet us there, I'm sure Kaiji will wanna see you when he gets up." She said, before hurrying back to her son.

"Who was that?" Kirishima blinked, "How did she know us? And Kaiji?"

"I'm not sure, but lets do what she said and get to the hospital!" Ashido replied quickly, taking off down the street once more.

"Ugh, more running..."

 **. . .**

Shisui was sitting on a chair outside the operating room, tapping her foot impatiently as Kaiji was worked on inside. She wasn't sure this place had anyone like Recovery Girl, so all the doctors could do for now was stabilize him so his regeneration could take care of the rest. Either way, it would take time... And she was not a woman of patience, or subtlety. She had gotten the bit of treatment she needed, stitches and some bandages, before coming her.

But the sound of footsteps caught her attention, and she looked up to see those kids from earlier. They looked worn out, had they run all the way here? Shisui leaned back in her seat, waving them over to her.

"Glad you two made it, I told the nurse at the front desk if she didn't let his friends in I'd break her arm." Shisui said casually with a small smile.

"Uh... Thanks?" Kirishima replied, tilting his head in confusion.

"Thanks for getting us in, but who are you?" Mina asked curiously, slumping into a seat across from her own.

"Names Shisui," She answered with a smirk, crossing her arms, "Or The Jade Dragon, I'm Kaiji's mother."

"Whoa..." Kirishima blinked, "Man, Kaiji's Mom looks super badass!"

"Ha! You should have seen me in my prime." She scoffed proudly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Ashido smiled, bowing her head respectfully, "I'm Mina Ashido, and this is Eijiro Kirishima, we live in the same neighborhood as Kaiji, we've been friends for a long time."

"So I've heard," She chuckled, looking them over, "You two kids came all the way out here, why?"

"We saw what was happening on the news," Kirishima answered calmly, "We knew Kaiji was here, and we wanted to try and help... Unfortunately we were late."

"And I guess the villains got away." Ashido sighed shaking her head, "But why were they even here? What was the reason behind this attack?"

"Kaiji said they were trying to free that monster, Noumu," Shisui explained, shaking her head, "They may have got away, but he made sure Noumu was in no condition to go with them... They had to flee and ended up leaving that big bastard behind."

"That's good," Kirishima sighed heavily, "That thing was a monster... We can't let the bad guys get him again."

"They should have just killed him." Shisui said sharply, earning a surprised look from the other two, "Look, I get it, you're heroes in training, no killing, save lives yadda yadda yadda..." She added with a dismissive wave, "Those things, the other "Noumus", they aren't people anymore." Shisui stated harshly, "They're machines, ravenous, deadly, efficient killing machines... That spineless All Might should have broke the bastards neck back at the USJ when he beat them, that would have at least prevented this mess." Her eyes darted towards the operating room doors, "And my son wouldn't be on an operating table..."

"Kaiji will be fine," Kirishima replied with an equal edge in his voice, "He's tougher than you think, and he knows killing isn't right, even for things like them... And All Might saved his, and all our lives, you should show a little respect." Ashido watched her as well, clenching her fists as she nodded in agreement.

Shisui turned a burning glare on him, but Kirishima didn't flinch or look away, "It's All Might's fault that monster even exists, those things almost killed me, my son and many other people today! He should never have had to fight those monsters! And he certainly shouldn't be on an operating table, while most of them walk free!" She shouted, standing from her seat, "That's the problem with you damn heroes... I don't want my son to become a martyr, a pro that dies or becomes cripples for some stupid cause! Or some villain that doesn't deserve it! He should be looking out for himself first..." Her eyes fell slowly, fists clenched tight, "He's just a kid, _dammit!_ "

"With all due respect," Ashido slowly rose to her feet as well, Kirishima blinking, "You have no idea what you're talking about, you have no idea how strong Kaiji is," She argued, standing before the older woman with fire in her eyes, "Yeah, he's got a tough Quirk, but that's not it!" She slashed her hand through the air between them, shaking her head, "He's a good person! He's always looking out for others, even at the expense of himself!

 _"I-I'll... Do better... N-Next time... You... You won't have to be..."_

"He doesn't think, he just rushes into chaos because he knows its the right thing to do! Because he can't just sit and watch evil run rampant!" Images of his charge at Shigaraki at the USJ ran through her mind, his arms being torn away sending a shiver down her spine, "And yeah! It sucks to watch him run off! It sucks that he doesn't take better care of himself..."

 _"What are you doing? Kaiji please don't move! You've lost too much blood!"_

"But that's who he is," She wiped away the brimming moisture beneath her right eye one of her eyes, taking a deep breath before staring her in the eyes, "As his Mother, you should support him, no matter what..."

 _"Kaiji... Don't hold anything back! Forget about us and give that monster EVERYTHING!"_

Shisui's glare had slowly softened, her frustrations melting away as she stared at the passionate young girl, "Tch... I really am pathetic," She grumbled, slumping back into her chair, "Letting a child lecture me, about my own damn son... You're a good kid, I can see why Kaiji likes you Pinky," She smirked at her, as Ashido's confidence was beguiled by a light blush, "But if you talk to me like that again not even All Might will be able to save you, understand?"

"Y-Yes ma'am!"


	15. Guardian Angel

**Thank you to everyone who is fine with the name change X3 I can't say much without spoiling, but it'll make sense later~**

 **Dog: Hey no problem! Enjoy your vacation! And thank you for all the wonderful reviews, even if you don't give criticism or advice it always puts a smile on my face knowing someone is enjoying what I'm making.**

 **Fantasy.92: Think more Godzilla lol XD**

* * *

"Sir, how are you feeling?" An officer asked, stopping and saluting before the Warden.

"I'm fine, have you done a count of the prisoners? Is everyone accounted for?" Komaji questioned, sitting back in his chair atop the Wardens tower. His own body had plenty of bandages, as well as a patch over his injured eye. In the aftermath, cleaning up after that mess he had to make sure everyone was still here.

"Unfortunately, there are a number of individuals that are unaccounted for, a few from the Maximum Security Block..." The man explained, setting the files on his desk, "A few very notable villains..."

"Mmm... Not as bad as I thought it might be, get the word out," He ordered after a heavy sigh, "Chances are they will lay low, likely flee the city and go underground... Hopefully we won't see them for a long time..."

 **. . .**

 _"Well... This is familiar."_

Kaiji opened his eyes slowly, looking up into bright ceiling lights he knew exactly where he was.

 _"Another hospital, I really shouldn't make a habit of this."_ He sighed slightly with a raspy breath.

"Oh good, you're up." The voice of an old man sounded beside him. He looked late into his forties, grey hair, glasses and a stereotypical lab coat, "You're quite tough, that regeneration seems to be working hard... We've got some nutrients flowing in through the IV, that should keep your body from burning itself out as you heal up." He explained with a smile.

"Thats- Ngh!" He cringed in pain, instantly regretting trying to move, "Th-Thank you..."

"Think nothing of it hero," He smiled, setting his clipboard aside, "We may not have Recovery Girl, but we get by." He chuckled, standing up and stepping back a bit, "Now, before I tell you the damage you've got some family here that would like to see you." He walked towards the door, opening it up, "Yes please come in everyone, just try to keep it down."

Kaiji blinked in surprise, seeing not only his Mother but Kirishima and Ashido as well! "E-Everyone... What are you all doing here?" He managed, eyes darting between them.

His mother stood beside the bed, smiling down at him, "Well your friends came all the way here when they saw what was going down at the prison, they were a little late but," She shrugged, "It's the thought that counts, I guess..."

"We took the bullet train, sorry we still missed the action." Kirishima chuckled, "Glad you're doing okay, you've really gotta stop ending up here man, these places bum me out."

"And stop maiming yourself," Ashido added, crossing her arms, "I swear being friends with you is a heart attack waiting to happen!"

The four shared a laugh, Kaiji managing too even though it hurt, wincing as he calmed down, "Speaking of that..." He had been adjusted a bit by the remote on the bed, so he was sitting up, "My arm," He noted, looking to the stump, "Or I guess... The lack there of."

"Yeah what happened," Shisui asked, "I heard from your friends that in third stage you healed both your missing limbs before, shouldn't that have grown your arm back this time too?"

"It means he went straight from stage one to three," Ashido answered, sighing and shaking her head, "You must have been in a bind."

"I took a gamble," Kaiji answered grimly, remembering his mistake, "And lost."

"You see," Kirishima began, looking to the still confused mother, "We figured out during our training that Kaiji can change from stage one to three, skipping his midway form... However, doing so really messes him up and burns his regenerative burst just keeping him from falling apart," He explained, "So he must have lost the arm and then jumped directly to stage three, saving time but costing him the arm."

Kaiji nodded as best he could, "I knew if I wasted time going through the normal method, that villain would have been all over me... I couldn't afford to waste the time." He admitted, looking to his worried mother, "I can regrow the arm, it'll just have to wait until I'm well enough to reach stage three again."

Shisui sighed heavily, crossing her arms, "You are one crazy kid... But, you really took charge, and kept those villains from escaping with their hero killer... I'm proud of you."

Kaiji felt his chest swell with pride, a grin spreading across his face, "Thanks Mom..."

"Anyways," Kirishima coughed, cutting into the moment, "You think you'll be up and ready for the Festival? It's already getting late here, and it starts the day after tomorrow."

"The festival," Kaiji blinked, "I completely forgot about the Sports Festival!"

"Ahem," All eyes turned to the doctor, "About that... I have some bad news." He pulled up some X-Rays on a big screen that hung from the ceiling, showing Kaiji's damage.

"Oh no..." Kirishima muttered, seeing what looked like a couple tubes of broken shards, Kaiji's legs. The others silent and listening to what the doctor had to say.

"That nasty fall you took, your legs took the brunt of it..." He stated sadly.

"W-Well you guys can fix it right!?" Shisui demanded, clenching her fists, "He's... He's not gonna be unable to walk right? He can regenerate! Right?!"

"Mom," Kaiji said softly, trying to calm her down, "It's okay..."

"I know this is hard to hear," The doctor continued, adjusting his glasses, "But it could take a long time for those legs to properly heal, Recovery Girl can speed up the process... But your body isn't going to be able to sustain that kind of speed healing, not for a few days at least, a week at the most... I'm sorry."

"B-But," Ashido stammered, "He fought to save those people! It's how he even ended up hurt! This isn't fair!"

"Everyone please," Kaiji spoke louder, turning their eyes to him. He sniffled a little, but fought back any brimming tears, "I chose to fight, I could have run away but I chose to stand my ground... I made a mistake fighting that villain, and I'm paying for it..." He clenched his fists, "I'll do better next time, I have to do better..." Silence followed, and an uncomfortable tension began to set in.

"Okay, why don't we all take it down a few notches," Kirishima cut in, breaking the silence as he placed a hand carefully on Kaiji's shoulder, "Yeah, it sucks that you can't compete, but remember the whole point of the festival is to show off your abilities to potential agencies that are recruiting," He explained, looking around to everyone, "And after today, your name and face will be plastered all over the news! There's no way they won't hear about you!"

"Hey, that's right." Ashido smiled, "After today, you're a real hero Kaiji! I'm sure the news will get the story out there! You'll be the talk of the town!"

Kaiji looked between his two friends, smile slowly returning, "You... You guys think so? I mean, I didn't do it for fame... I just-"

"Oh shut up and accept the silver lining!" Shisui intervened, grinning as she bopped him on the head, "And don't worry about any reporters or media trying to get at you, if they try to get through that door I'll crush their cameras."

Kaiji blushed a little, laughing nervously, "Th-Thanks Mom..."

 **. . .**

 _"Pain pain pain... SoooOOooOOo~ Much pain."_

It was late at night now in the hospital, Shisui was staying overnight sleeping on the chairs outside his room. While Kirishima and Ashido were given the keycard to his room at the hotel. They'd be leaving sometime in the morning to get back home and get ready for the Festival, considering how long the train ride was they would likely be getting back late afternoon and the Festival would begin the following morning so they didn't have a lot of time now for any last minute preparations.

As this went on, and Kaiji slept soundly in his bed however...

 _"I'm going to take all of the pain~"_

Something stalked the halls of the hospital, lurking from room to room in the dead of night. A terribly thin figure, looking more like a skeleton than a living person. The body was garbed in tattered white rags, what once may have been a beautiful dress was a dirty piece of cloth. It hovered above the ground by a few inches, moving silently towards its target. The phantom had ruffled black feathered wings on its back, with no hair on her head.

Angel, that was her name. More specifically, the Angel of Pain, or the Angel of Death... But those were titles giving by those who did truly understand her Quirk.

Empathetic Transference.

 _"There you are... My hero,"_ She thought to herself, empty eyes locking onto her target. She approached the hospital room, silently pushing open the door. She hovered in through the doorway, _"Debts debts debts, so many debts to repay... But I'll start with you~"_ She came a halt over the bed as she looked over his body, _"So young... How sad."_

She raised her hand over his face, and closed her eyes, _"Amid the chaos, I was able to fly free... And so, I will take your pain..."_ Without warning, she pressed her hand against his face, "But if we meet again, Kaiji Adachi," She leaned down, whispering into his ear, "I will _break_ you..."

 **. . .**

"Agh!" Kaiji gasped, sitting upright out of reaction as he was awoken. Arm and Legs flailing as he tried pulled his feet away from whatever sharp pain had struck them. He blinked, looking forward to see the doctor standing at the edge of the looking more startled than Kaiji himself was.

"Kaiji, you... You sat up? All by yourself..." He noted, eyes scanning over his body.

"I... I did?" He blinked, looking down at his chest, he realized he didn't feel any pain. But then he noticed the doctor had a little knife in his hand near the bottom of his feet, "Was that a feel test that woke me up?" He questioned.

"Indeed," He nodded, walking around to the side of the bed, "I don't know what happened but I need to look at your legs again." He urged, putting a hand on his chest to make him lay back down as the X-Ray machine rose from the floor. He stepped back and activated the device, letting it scan over Kaiji's body.

Kaiji remained still, and as the machine scanned him over his eyes widened while the pictures appeared across the screen overhead, "That's... That's not possible!"

"Amazing..." The doctor muttered as the machine retracted back into the floor compartment, "I've been seeing this all morning, like some kind of miracle... So many prisoners and guards here at the hospital woke up this morning with their wounds completely healed!"

"That's incredible, also impossible," Kaiji replied, leaning back on the bed before swinging his legs over the side. He carefully stood on his feet, both legs holding together without any sign of what had happened yesterday, "Are you sure you don't have anyone here with recovery powers?"

"Positive," He nodded, "I'll ask around, but for now I suppose I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth." He shrugged, setting aside his papers, "You are in perfect health aside from the missing arm but I think you'll take care of that." He chuckled.

Kaiji nodded his head grinning, _"I don't know what happened, maybe some hero came in and took care of us? I don't know, but either way I'm healed up and I can compete in the festival!"_ He clenched his fist tightly, thinking of his classmates, _"I hope you guys are ready, because Kaiji Adachi is coming home, and he's ready!"_

"Oh by the way, your Mother and I ran a small test while you were out." The doctor added, seeing him about to bolt out the door, "Come with me, I think you'll want to hear this."


	16. Darkness Recedes

**Fantasy.92: Guess you'll have to wait and see X3**

 **Heartburn: Glad I'm keeping you on the edge of your seat XD**

* * *

"You're sure you're completely healed? We were going to send Recovery Girl up there..."

"The doctor gave me a clean bill of health! I can participate in the Festival, even without an arm can't I?"

"Oh ho, you certainly are enthusiastic... Very well, if you are healthy I'll give you the chance to participate... And I wish you the best of luck, young Adachi."

The call with Principal Nezu was still ringing in his mind, as the boy blazed it towards the hotel. Grinning like an idiot and earning more than a few strange looks from people he passed. Though, maybe that was probably because he was missing an arm. But Kaiji didn't care, he couldn't stop now if he wanted. He didn't understand why he felt so good... It was just like after the villain attack at the USJ.

He had faced the darkness once more, come to the brink and walked away. It gave him a rush, maybe he was just an adrenaline junkie? Either way, after staring into the darkness for so long the idea of something as simple as a competitive sports festival sounded like a holiday to him.

He slid to a stop before his Hotel room door, panting slightly before putting on a big smirk. He raised his hand and knocked loudly, hopefully loud enough to wake someone. It was still early morning, so they might be asleep. With his Dad paying he really wouldn't have put it past them to binge some movies all night or buy snacks.

Kaiji was grinning from ear to ear, wondering who would be the one to answer. Would it be Kirishima? The two could pound fists and laugh with excitement, challenging each other to the top for the festival. Or would it be Ashido, and she could beam with excitement that they were all going home together? He paused, trying to contain his excitement as he heard shuffling inside.

"Ugh... Who is it?"

 _"Ashido."_ Kaiji recognized the voice, definitely sounded tired she must have been asleep. He cleared his throat, before saying in the deepest voice he could manage, "House keeping!"

"This early?" She groaned, the nob slowly turning as she pulled it open. As she came into view, Kaiji could see she must have just rolled out of bed. Wearing her loose pajamas and wrapped in a small blanket, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she looked up at him, "Can't you guys come back la-" Her voice hitched, jaw dropping as she stared at him.

"I woke up fully healed this morning," Kaiji explained excitedly, "I already talked to the Principal, even without my arm I can still compete in the Festival! We're all going home together!" He assured.

But as Ashido stared at him, she felt something building up inside of her. As she blinked away the sleep from her eyes, tears began to well up and she bit her lip to keep from totally breaking into sobs.

"W-Whoa Ashido what's wrong?!" Kaiji asked frantically, his excitement vanishing, "I-I'm sorry I woke you up! I was just too excited to wait!"

But as the tears finally poured over, she threw her arms forward with a giant smile on her face. Wrapping her surprisingly strong arms around his thin frame and hugging him tight as his face turned a deep shade of red, "I don't care about the festival, you stupid idiot!" She exclaimed, as she slowly choked the life out of the thin boy, "I'm just glad you're coming home with us... And that you're okay." She rested her head against his shoulder, sniffling a bit, "I hate seeing you in those hospital beds..."

Kaiji's blush faded, and he smiled softly. Returning her hug with his remaining arm, "I'm sorry... I didn't realize this was so hard on you, I-" He paused, chuckling faintly, remembering what she said the day before, "I'll try to get maimed less often."

Ashido reluctantly pulled back, her tears coming to a stop as she laughed, "You'd better, if I keep letting this stuff happen to you your Mom is gonna maim _me_!"

Kaiji began to laugh, glad that the tension had dissipated and she wasn't crying anymore. But his face contorted with shock and a deep blush as he spotted another figure emerging from the side bedroom in the hotel room, "Ugh, oh hey... Is that you Kaiji? What are you doing here?" The half asleep Kirishima asked, barely conscious as he stumbled towards the door.

"Oh, good morning Kiri- Hey!" Ashido yelped as Kaiji pulled her against him, blushing a bit, "I didn't realize you could be so forward Kaiji." She joked.

"Don't turn around!" He barked, still blushing, he couldn't let her turn towards the room, towards his friend, "Kirishima, WHY ARE YOU NAKED!?"

The muscular teen tilted his head, "Huh? Oh this, yeah, I sleep nude."

Ashido realized what Kaiji was trying to protect her from and her face turned a deeper shade of pink, "K-Kirishima you weirdo!" She exclaimed, scooting away from the door and further into the hall to avoid seeing him, "Why do you sleep Naked!?"

"I dunno, I think it's manly... Just letting it all hang-"

"GraaAAAAAGH!" Kaiji roared as he tackled Kirishima back further into the room.

"Agh! Kaiji what was that for!? Oh hey your legs work."

"Clothes, NOW, dumbass!"

As the scrambling continued inside, Ashido leaned against the wall, sighing contently, "Good to have you back Kaiji..."

Once Kirishima was fully dressed, Kaiji let Ashido back inside the room. And they all sat down to chat, and figure out exactly what happened to Kaiji.

"So, you just woke up and... You were healed?" Kirishima questioned, "Aside from the arm still being gone, that's pretty lucky."

"Yeah, and the Principal said you can compete," Ashido beamed, "That means we can all enter the Festival together!"

"I don't know how it happened, but I'm grateful," Kaiji shrugged, "If this means I have a chance to compete I'll take it, even if I've only got one arm I'm ready to win!" He declared, raising his fist high.

Kirishima blinked, "Well, I'll certainly be cheering for you, but don't expect me to go easy on you." He smirked, crossing his arms.

"I guess we gotta figure out how durable you really are sometime eh? I won't hold anything back," Kaiji fired back, grinning brightly at his friend, "Not when I've got family watching."

"Oh yeah," Ashido tilted her head, "Where is your Mother? I figured she would have come with you..."

Kaiji's smile wavered a bit, "Oh, yeah she couldn't come with me... She's still serving time for her past crimes, but Warden Komaji did promise she could be interviewed for early release, and as long as she doesn't threaten to injure anyone like usual... I'm sure she'll be out in a few weeks." He chuckled, leaning back in his chair, "But she'll be watching from the Prison, apparently when she got the word to them I'd be competing there were quite a few inmates and guards that demanded it be broadcast there..."

"A celebrity among the criminals," Kirishima teased, shaking his head, "Not sure if that's good or bad."

 **. . .**

"AAAGH!" An explosion of sparks and glass were unleashed, as Shigaraki tore the TV down from the wall. Kurogiri watching nearby as the tantrum ensued, "We were SO CLOSE!" He shouted, stomping on the device. Just moments ago, it had been displaying news about the Prison attack, the piece that got under his skin the most was when that damn brats face appeared on the screen, "I want him dead, I want everything he cares about DEAD! Dead dead dead DEAD!"

"You're acting like a spoiled brat," The voice of the Master sounded from a nearby monitor, "You rushed this mission, you're lucky we didn't lose any of the Noumu's..."

"But we didn't get ours back," He hissed back at the screen, turning his gaze onto the monitor, "We lost our chance! Now they'll take him away somewhere else! And our best weapon against All Might is GONE!"

"Because you wanted to make a point, rather than leaving when you should have." A second voice sounded from the screen, "Blame the boy all you want, but the failure of this mission is on your head."

"Grr..."

"However, the growing power of that child is troubling," The Master continued, "Mmm, we will develop counter measures, but there is something that needs to be investigated, something I'm leaving to you Kurogiri."

"I am at your service Master." The phantom man said with a bow.

"Our man on the inside of Tagua Prison stated that several individuals from the Maximum Security Block escaped during the chaos," He explained simply, "They are villains of renown, that have been locked away for some time now... They would be of great use to us, find them and bring them in."

"Yes, that sounds like an excellent plan..."

"In the mean time, the eye of good moves," The second voice added, "We have caused too much a stir in such a short time, we must sink into the shadows once again until the fledgling heroes grow complacent once more... And that means you do NOTHING, without our say so, Shigaraki."

"Tch... Yes, master..."

* * *

 **A little shorter than usual, but with this we have officially wrapped up the FIRST full original Arc of the story :D There will be more to come, but for now lets give Kaiji a chance to relax with some Sports Festival shenanigans!**


	17. The Sports Festival

**Heartburn: Lol Thank you X3 That means a lot!**

 **Fantasy.92: His arm will regenerate once he transforms properly to third stage, so it could happen any time!**

* * *

 _"Can't believe I might be late!"_ Kaiji panted as he ran, passing through the school gates after flashing his pass, _"I'll still make it in time, I hope that last minute training actually pays off..."_ After swinging through the main area, he burst into the locker room where everyone was preparing. Pushing open the door sliding to a stop, gasping for breath, "I... I made it..." He panted, slowly looking up at all of his classmates.

They stared at him in surprise for a moment, before their faces started lighting up. Most of the class completely forgetting about getting ready as they surrounded him.

"Kaiji! It's great to see you again," Midoriya greeted with a beaming smile, "We've all been waiting for you."

He blinked in surprise, "Waiting for me?"

"We've been worried sick you numbskull!" Sato blurted out, bumping his fists together.

"We all saw what happened in Tagua Prison," Tokoyami noted, "And heard you were in the hospital again."

"Kirishima and Ashido told us you'd be here today, we just didn't think you'd actually be participating!" Uraraka laughed.

"Yeah we kinda wanted it to be a surprise," Ashido laughed nervously, "And then you were almost late!" She huffed, hands on her hips.

"What gives Kaiji, where did you go this morning?" Kirishima asked crossing his arms.

"O-Oh uh, it's nothing," He assured, lying badly, "Just something I wanted to try something out... Don't worry about it." He waved his friends off.

Before the matter could be pressed, the door exploded open, "Everyone! Get your game faces on!" Iida ordered with fire in his eyes, "We're entering the arena soon!"

"Oh crap I gotta change!" Kaiji yelped, quickly rushing off to his locker and undressing. He didn't care if anyone saw him in his boxers at this point, it was hard enough getting dressed with only one arm and now he was in a rush! Though he was grateful Iida came in when he did, afraid the others might have tried to force an explanation out of him...

It wasn't that he wanted to lie to anyone, but this was a competition, and he needed to keep his secret weapon hidden until absolutely necessary.

"Midoriya." He was just pulling his shirt over his head when he heard Todoroki, he poked his head out around the lockers to see what was going on.

"Uh... Hey Todoroki," Izuku replied cautiously, "What's up?"

"From an objective standpoint, I think it's fairly clear that I'm stronger than you." He said bluntly.

Midoriya blinked in surprise, before timidly nodding, "Well... Yeah."

"However," Todoroki continued, "You've got All Might in your corner, helping you out."

 _"All Might?"_ Kaiji blinked, noting that everyone else looked just as confused, while Midoriya seemed startled.

"I'm not here to pry about what's going on between you two," Todoroki added, "But know that I will beat you..."

"Sheesh, what's with all the declarations of war lately?" Kaminari questioned, attempting to break the tension.

"Yeah what's the big deal why you picking a fight all of a sudden?" Kirishima asked, approaching Todoroki and placing a hand on his shoulder, "And right before we get started!"

"We're not here to be each others friends," He replied sharply, shrugging off his hand, "Don't forget this isn't a team effort..." With that, he started making his way for the door.

"Wait a sec Todoroki," All eyes fell on Midoriya, the timid boy clenching his fists, "I don't know what's going through your head, or why you think you need to tell me that you'll beat me... And yeah, of course you're better than me, you probably have way more potential than anyone in the Hero course... That's why you got in so easily."

Kirishima put on a nervous smile, holding up his hands, "Midoriya maybe you're being a little hard on yourself, and us-"

"No! He's right you guys," Midoriya interrupted, "All the other courses, they're coming for us with everything they've got! We're all gonna have to fight to stand out..." His eyes rose, locking onto Todoroki's, "And I'll be aiming for the top too."

"Hm, fine."

 **. . .**

 **"Let me hear you scream as our Students make their way to the Main gate!"**

The voice of Present Mic was booming throughout the stadium. As the classes began to emerge.

 **"This first group is no stranger to the spotlight! You know them from surviving a villain attack and they will light up your TV with Solid Gold skills! The hero course students of Class 1-A!"**

As they began making their way out and onto the field, Kaiji swallowed nervously, "This is... A lot of people..."

"Present Mic sure did talk us up a lot," Kirishima stated as they crossed the field, "That makes me nervous, how you feeling man?"

"Nervous, I'll have to be careful how I use my powers here." Kaiji stated, as Present Mic began introducing the other classes, "It won't be easy to go full beast here... In front of all these people."

"Are you serious?" Ashido asked, "Come on, you've been on TV, recordings of that power are up everywhere now! You aren't going to scare anyone!"

"That isn't what I mean," Kaiji sighed shaking his head, "Every time I've used that ability, its been with purpose... To save us at the USJ, to try and stop that villain at Tagua Prison, even during training I had a strict goal and reason in mind... Everyone here likely already knows what I can do if they watch the news, so should I even bother burning out my body just to please a crowd?"

"You do make a good point..." Kirishima answered, scratching his head, "Eh, who knows, maybe you won't even need to use it!"

"That is incredibly optimistic."

Once they were all lined up before the center stage, the familiar form of Midnight took to the stage, "Now for the Opening Pledge!" Dressed in her usual, rather inappropriate attire.

"Is she really reffing like that?" Kaiji sighed facepalming.

"Yeah someone should really talk to Ms Midnight about what she's wearing," Kirishima added, "That outfit should come with a warning."

"It really isn't appropriate for a high school game." Tokoyami scoffed.

"Silence everyone!" She barked, apparently in range enough to hear them, "And for the Student Pledge! We have Katsuki Bakugo!"

"Oh no..." Kaiji muttered, looking to the others, "So, what do you think the chances are he says something bad?" He asked, as Bakugo approached the stage.

"Knowing Bakugo?" Kaminari replied, "I'd say we're screwed."

"Then we're all in agreement." Tokoyami added dryly.

"I just wanna say," Bakugo began, as silence fell across the stadium. The students waiting to see what terrible insults he would throw out, "I'm gonna win."

"I knew he'd saying something like that!" Class 1-A exclaimed in unison, as an uproar of boos was unleashed from the students.

"Without further adieu, its time to get started!" Midnight continued once the shouting came to a stop, "This is where you begin feeling the pain! The first fateful game of the Festival!" She declared, as a holo-screen appeared behind her. Spinning slots preparing to decide their fates, "What could it be?"

Kaiji held his breath.

"Tadaaaa~!" The wheel stopping on Obstacle Race, "All Eleven Classes will participate in this treacherous contest! And must pass four kilometers around the outside of the stadium! I don't want to restrain anyone, at least in this game~" She licked her lips, "So as long as you don't leave the course, you're free to do whatever your heart desires! Now then, TAKE YOUR PLACES CONTESTANTS!"

The horde of students took their positions at the main gate, the first part of the race being to pass through the large narrow doorway and hall before them. Kaiji narrowed his eyes, realizing this would be an absolute mess with so many people. But he had a plan...

"BEGIN!"

It was absolutely mayhem as the students charged forward. Cramming into the narrow space of the hall. Shoving, pushing and trying to get past the mound of bodies.

 _"I was right!"_ Kaiji realized as he jumped from the back, growing claws on his hand, and both feet mid air. He stuck to the wall, the claws digging in before he began to run on all three limbs along the wall. _"This is the first obstacle! Getting through this chaos!"_

And he wasn't the only one who figured out, as Kaiji was nearing the end a blast of cold erupted from the tunnel freezing a majority of the students in place. Todoroki flying ahead of the competition and freezing the earth behind him. But he wasn't alone, many other members of Class 1-A were blasting ahead, completely avoiding the ice with their own Quirks or wit. Kaiji jumped from the wall, having fallen a little behind he transformed again mid flight reaching second stage by the time he hit the ground.

 _"So I wasn't the only one,"_ He thought to himself, using his tail as extra leverage as he slid across the ice as if he were skating, _"All of our class, we saw the obstacle and we made our move, we didn't hesitate... Is that because of the villain attack?"_ He wondered, waving at Ashido as he slid up alongside her, using his tail to boost faster over the ice and pass her by, _"We've all been in life or death situations now, we know that hesitating will get you killed... I guess those events really have put us above the other classes."_

His thoughts came to a halt as did he. Sliding to a stop before the rising mountain of robots up ahead, _"Th-Those are from the entrance exam!"_ He gasped, looking up at the giant beasts, _"No, I don't need to waste my time on these, this is a competition, I'm not saving anyone here!"_ He decided, rushing forward as Todoroki brought one of the metal monsters down with a blast of ice. Giving an even bigger lead as the robot fell upon the crowd behind him.

"That red haired guy got trapped underneath that huge robot!" Someone shouted, Kaiji instinctively sliding to a halt.

 _"Kirishima!"_ He made a straight line for the fallen mech, jumping forward and smashing through the two that got in his way. But just as he started reaching the machine the metal casing began to tear open from the inside.

And Kirishima's rock hard form emerged, his Quirk covering his whole body, "I'M ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!" He roared intensely.

Kaiji sighed heavily, and kept running, _"... Dammit Kirishima..."_

 **. . .**

"Look at these kids go!"

"I like the one that blows stuff up!"

"Why hasn't Kaiji turned into that big monster yet?"

"I know right? He could just EAT the other competitors!"

Shisui sat back in her chair, watching the screen as guards and prisoners alike chatted during the Festival. She smirked, watching as Kaiji kept moving forward. He looked like he was having fun, but he also seemed pretty focused on the objective despite his short comings in the event.

"Hey Shisui," She turned her head, spotting Spitfire approaching. He still had a caste over his arm and a few bandages, "Your son is doing well, but I don't see him pulling ahead of the others." He stated, the room filling with laughs as the students began reaching the Mine Field.

"Speed never was his strong suit," She shrugged , sliding him the chair she had been resting her feet on, "Not when he changes form from what I hear, I don't expect him to blow anyone out of the water just yet, maybe once they get into the tournament though..."

"Ha, yeah I'm sure he'll do fine." Spitfire chuckled, sitting down and kicking back to watch, "At least everyone is enjoying the show."

Shisui nodded with a smile, "They certainly need it, after that mess."

 **"In a stunning move! Izuku Midoriya has blasted past his classmates from 1-A! He cleared that Minefield in an INSTANT! Eraser Head your students are AMAZING! What the heck have you been teaching them!?"**

 **"This has nothing to do with me... Each and every one of them is powered by their own drive to succeed."**

 **"Well there you have it! Eraser Head is a TERRIBLE TEACHER!"**

 **"Hey what!?"**

"They're closing in on the gate!" Shisui stood up from her seat, "Come on Kaiji!" She shouted, "Get in there and WIN!"

 **"The first to make it back to our stadium is... IZUKU MIDORIYA! HE'S OUR CHAMPION!"**

The crowd exploded, as the runners continued filing out. Kaiji reached the field and slowed to a stop, reverting to his human form and panting heavily. Leaning forward on his knees, "I-I've never run so far so fast before..." He gasped for breath, taking a seat in the grass as he watched the other runners make it in.

 _"That's one event down,"_ Kaiji thought to himself, noting the other students and measuring what he had seen them do during the trial, _"What's with this pressure?"_ He wondered, looking down at his hands briefly, _"I don't feel that same rush I did after fighting those villains... I know I can push myself harder and do better here... So why don't I?"_

* * *

 **Some minor, unfortunate news before the next chapter that needs to be addressed. For anyone who was possibly excited, know that I'll be skipping the Cavalry Battle. I've tried writing that chapter four separate times now, and every time its either too short, comes out feeling wrong, is hard to follow, or is just too damn long if I actually try focusing on everyone lol**

 **So to save myself the headache, I removed it. The Cavalry battle still happens of course, but we'll be jumping past it. Sorry if this upsets anyone, I tried my damndest to make it a good chapter, but it always seemed to come out wrong...**


	18. Kaiji Adachi VS Shoto Todoroki

**Overtale: You're right! I've ruined everything! The story is over! Lol**

 **VictorsMyName: I played around with the idea of rewriting the tournament to make it more interesting, but there are too many fights that actually give development to the canon characters so I decided against it. There are a few there that obviously get none at all, but shifting them out would mean reworking the cavalry battle as well and keeping track of other points and yadda yadda yadda too much for my brain to process XD**

 **SO! It will be explained, but to make it more clear, during the canon Cavalry battle, Bakugo takes Kirishima, Ashido and Hanta Sero. Since Kirishima and Ashido are Kaiji's best friends, I just replaced Sero with Kaiji.**

 **Which means Kaiji will take Sero's spot in the tournament, putting him in the second match against...**

* * *

"Hey, I just wanted to call and see how you were doing," His father's voice sounded over the phone, "I've been watching you're doing great! Smart move by you and your friends, teaming up with Bakugo for the cavalry battle."

Kaiji chuckled nervously, "I think we just got lucky, but he seemed to find Kirishima, Ashido and I to be the most useful, it was close but we pulled it off." He nodded, sitting in a waiting room.

"So, the tournament now..."

"Yeah, I know." Kaiji sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair, "Time to bring it."

"From what I've seen Todoroki's no pushover, but you've likely ascertained that." His father replied simply, "And being the son of Endeavor, that child has got a lot of power."

"Yeah..."

"But so do you, even missing an arm you've held on throughout each of the events!" He assured, pride swelling in his voice, "No matter what happens, your mother and I are very proud of you."

Kaiji smiled softly, "Thanks Dad, I'll do my best."

"I know you will, now get out there and show the world what you're made of Adachi!"

Kaiji said his goodbyes and hung up, getting to his feet and stretching a bit. When they drew lots for the matches, Kaiji had been put in the second match against Todoroki. Not the best place to be in, considering how strong his Quirk was. And skill aside, Kaiji had a natural aversion to the cold thanks to his reptilian nature. He had a few tricks of his own however, things Todoroki hadn't seen, things nobody had seen during the events today.

He exited the waiting room, he knew at this point Midoriya's match with Shinso was under way. He'd taken the moment to call back his father, likely missing most of the match. Kaiji was making his way out of the waiting area when he spotted Todoroki up ahead.

"Good, you're here..." He said, eyes staring right through Kaiji, "Midoriya's match just ended, we're up..."

"That was fast," Kaiji blinked, he wasn't even sure what Shinso's Quirk was. But Midoriya was not one to be underestimated, "Alright, I'll head to the ring..." He nodded, walking past him, only to stop as Todoroki grabbed his shoulder.

"Kaiji," His voice was deathly calm, "Before we go out there... I just want to say, and don't take this the wrong way, you're one of the few people in our class I have some reservations about fighting."

Kaiji blinked in surprise, "I... Really? But why?"

"As of that incident in Tagua, you've officially got more real combat experience than me." He said calmly, shooting him a sideways glance, "And I saw the ruin left behind from your battle with that monster at the USJ... You're much stronger than one would think just by looking at you... So I hope you understand, I won't be going easy on you." With that, he released Kaiji's shoulder and started making his way back to the arena, "I will not underestimate you, even if you've only got one hand."

 _"I can't argue with him there... He's not taking any chances,"_ Kaiji noted, following silently, _"Even in those news reports they only saw me knocked out on the ground after falling... Only a handful of our class know what I can really do, and I've improved since then."_ Kaiji narrowed his eyes, clenching his one hand tightly, _"But why am I so nervous? I know I'm not scared of Todoroki... This isn't even a real fight, I know if I push myself I can... Win."_

A sudden realization dawned on the boy, making him pause in his tracks briefly.

 _"Why? Why am I so focused on winning?"_

 **. . .**

 **"ENOUGH SITTING AROUND!"** Present mic boomed, his voice echoing throughout the cheering stadium as the fires along the rings edge ignited, **"And welcome to the Ring, Our next PLAYAS!"**

Kaiji stepped into the ring on his side, rolling his good shoulder as he squared up with Todoroki. Their eyes meeting in the middle, and never leaving each other as they waited for the signal to begin.

 **"He's got skill, and experience! From the Hero Course, we have, KAIJI ADACHI!"**

 _"Just focus, you've seen Todoroki at work before,"_ Kaiji thought to himself, _"He doesn't seem to use his left side at all, I need to get in close but he'll try to stay on mine because of my missing arm... He thinks that's a weakness, good."_

 **"Versus! An early front runner in the competition that's WAY too strong for his own good, someone who made it into the hero course on recommendations... It's, SHOTO TODOROKI!"**

Todoroki's eyes burned into Kaiji with an anger he hadn't had in them before the match. Kaiji's neck hairs began to stand on end and he felt something bad was coming. His instincts were screaming, he needed to move!

 **"Now for the second match of the finals... BEGIN!"**

"HrrraAAAGH!" Todoroki swung one hand forward, a mighty swath of ice rising and spreading across the ground. Completely engulfing Kaiji's side of the ring, the young boy vanishing from sight. Along with half the arena left frozen by the massive assault, pillars of ice reaching high into the air, "It's... Over." He said, releasing a deep breath.

"Oh no Kaiji!" Ashido gasped, trying to spot him among the ice sheets, "Does anyone see him! Did he get frozen!?"

"Come on no way he got knocked out in one blow!" Kirishima exclaimed, standing from his seat.

"W-Wait guys look!" Midoriya pointed, seeing a flicker of movement, "Up there!"

All eyes turned towards the top of the icy spears. A figure sliding down them at increasing speeds. It was Kaiji! He'd changed to second stage and was sliding towards his foe, he wasn't out of this yet!

 _"So much power Todoroki,"_ His eyes narrowed as he closed in, Todoroki watching in shock and worry as he closed the gap, _"I don't know what happened to you before the match, but you just wasted a huge amount of power!"_

"Stay back!" He commanded, firing another sheet of ice, bring them up on Kaiji's left flank where his arm was missing. Attempting to exploit the hole in his defences.

Kaiji jumped, springing off his tail and flipping overhead. He changed back into human form mid drop, landing behind Todoroki, "I've got you!" He cocked back, and swung as hard as he could with right hand just as Todoroki turned to face him.

But he was just as skilled as Kaiji thought, reaching up with both hands he blocked the strike just barely, wincing in pain from the impact. "Now you're finished." Todoroki declared, his ice beginning to spread across Kaiji's arm, "Without an arm to fight me you don't stand a chance, and I don't intend to let you transf-"

Todoroki was cut off, as Kaiji delivered a brutal uppercut with his... Left arm!? A series of gasps rang out from the crowd all around the arena. All eyes were transfixed on Kaiji's new arm, it looked like it was made out of some kind of crystals! A deep green color, glowing faintly and grown right out of the stump from where his arm used to be!

Todoroki was nearly thrown off his feet. Stumbling back with blood running from his lip as he stared in shock at Kaiji, "But... Your arm, how did you get it back so quickly!?"

Kaiji smirked, clenching the crystal fist before shattering the ice on his other arm with it, "Just a gift from my Mom."

 **. . .**

 **Yesterday**

 **. . .**

"So what was this test you guys did?" Kaiji asked curiously.

"Well you see," Shisui began, arms crossed as she leaned against the wall, "I noticed when you're in third stage, you grow crystals out of your body, kinda like how my quirk works." She explained, holding up her arm as the crystals started forming. Creating a menacing set of claws and armor over her forearm, "On a hunch, I asked the doctor if he could run a test on your scales, and my crystals."

"And what did you find?" Kaiji asked, wondering where this was going.

"They're the same material," The doctor explained with excitement, "They vary in density and composition, but the scales you grow over your body are the same as the crystals you form in third stage... It isn't so much that you're transforming, but reshaping and reconstituting your body into this material." The doctor went on, "That's why it takes so much out of you and puts such a heavy strain on you."

"So I was thinking," Shisui cut in with a grin, "Maybe, since you can grow scales over your body in first stage, you might be able to produce some crystals as well! If you just focus on increasing the molecular density and keeping it separate from your bones and muscles."

"That's amazing!" Kaiji exclaimed, "Oh man, I wish I had more time to train before the Festival..."

"Wait," Shisui added quickly, "There is something else..."

 **. . .**

"That's amazing..." Midoriya muttered, "I recognized back at the USJ that those crystals seemed familiar, that's why I felt so pressed to find out where he got his Quirk from, but this is so much more than I'd expected!"

"GO KAIJI!" Ashido cheered, Kirishima standing beside her.

"KICK HIS ICY BUTT!" The Red head added excitedly.

Back in the ring, Kaiji was about to go on the attack, "True, I only had a few hours to train before coming here today, lost some sleep but I'm glad I did." He declared, charging forward once more, "So lets go Todoroki! Time I put my new powers to the test!"

"You pulled a fast one on me," Todoroki accused as he back stepped, firing waves of ice forward that Kaiji jumped over and dodged. Allowing his faux arm to take the brunt of anything that got too close, considering it was made out of crystal rather than flesh and bone the joints couldn't be frozen or slowed down, "I was right to not underestimate you and you still surprised me!"

Kaiji ducked under a swing, feinting a punch with his crystal arm. As Todoroki reached out to grab him, Kaiji spun around. Changing mid spin and slamming Todoroki's ribs with his powerful tail. The boy sliding back and gripping his side, Kaiji jumped high into the air using the tail as leverage. Spinning head over heels as he fell, picking up momentum.

Todoroki held up both hands, creating a barrier of ice around himself. But on impact, Kaiji's powerful tail shattered it into pieces, knocking Todoroki on his back. Kaiji changed back as he landed, panting for breath, "I've seen how you fight, for as long as I've known you no one has ever been able to lay a scratch on you because you can freeze them before they can even move." He stated, catching his breath.

 _"I exhausted myself so quickly... I guess that early morning training wore me out more than I thought."_

But Kaiji wasn't just taunting him, he was standing in the open sunlight to warm his body and catch his breath, the frigid air surrounding him when Todoroki attacked was beginning to have an effect. His muscles felt sluggish and tired, the cold was making him tired. If this went on it wouldn't matter if he could transform at all.

"Don't get me wrong," Kaiji continued, "You're a skilled fighter, but you hardly ever have to deal with someone at such a close range... Normally stopping opponents from a mile away... Hmph, it's no surprise a guy like you doesn't know your way around a fist fight." He held up his crystal arm, it was pulsing slowly and started to melt away ice around it, _"Already? Jeez this thing builds up way too fast, I don't know how much I can actually use it before burning out..."_ He narrowed his eyes, doing his best not to show worry on his face.

Todoroki got to his feet, panting lightly as he held his eyes on Kaiji, "No doubt about it, you're amazing Adachi... But I can't afford to lose here." He narrowed his eyes suddenly, and blasted forward riding a wave of Ice. He was calling Kaiji's bluff, testing the limits of his stamina by going all out and trying to brute force him down with the ice.

 _"Dammit! It's now or never!"_ He decided, leaping forward towards Todoroki's approaching ice wall rather than running away, _"Please be enough!"_

"He'll be completely buried what is he thinking!?" Kirishima exclaimed, grabbing his head.

"Aaagh I can't watch!" Ashido screamed covering her face with her hands. Quickly peaking between her fingers anyways.

"You're FINISHED!" Todoroki declared, his ice crashing down on the boy.

 _"This ones for you Mom!"_ Kaiji thought with a confident smirk. His crystal arm blazing with green flames as he threw it forward at the wall of ice.

 **. . .**

 **Yesterday**

 **. . .**

"Do you understand the implications of this Kaiji?" Shisui asked, hands on her hips.

"Yeah, it means I have more power in my first stage." He answered simply.

"No, it means the limits of your body in the first stage are much greater than you thought." Shisui explained simply, "Think about it, the more you've trained, the more you've begun making these other forms easier to switch between right?" She questioned.

"I... Yeah, I can pretty much switch between first and second stage with no strain now." He nodded in agreement, "I think..."

"Exactly," She replied quickly, "Remember, this power is the essence of your Quirk, and the Quirk isn't supposed to be something you just call upon when the chips are down." She scoffed shaking her head, "It needs to be something that comes naturally!"

Kaiji's eyes began to light up as he understood what she was saying, "That's... INCREDIBLE!" He exclaimed, "So with the right training, I might never need to even transform!"

"I didn't say that," Shisui answered sharply, "While it's true you might be able draw on the other aspects of your Quirk in human form, your body reconstitutes itself so you can handle wielding your power at maximum." She explained, "At least that's my theory, if you try to draw on that power and pull too much you'll likely just injure yourself."

"Oh I get it..." Kaiji nodded, though that meant he had much more work to do, "Like Midoriya's smash..."

 **. . .**

"You're FINISHED!"

"DRAAAGOOON! SLASH!" Kaiji's voice roared through the arena, pulling power from the third stage as his fiery claw went right through the wall of ice. His crystal arm tearing through it like tissue paper.

The flaming impact exploded, shattering the ice all the way through and sending Todoroki flying. Shards of ice and sparks of green light illuminating the stadium with beautiful lights as they reflected off the ice. But at the same time, the backlash completely shattered his crystal arm and sent Kaiji flying as well. The boy went tumbling, as shards of ice rained down in the aftermath. The shimmering green flames left behind slowly fading away.

While the dust was clearing, Todoroki had landed on his feet. He was staggering to stay up with how much energy he'd expelled so far. Kaiji was sitting on his butt, panting heavily for breath but not yet reforming his crystal arm. The two held a stare for a long moment, Kaiji's eyes occasionally darting around the ring.

 _"He's still standing... And I'm totally exhausted,"_ Kaiji realized grimly, eyes never leaving Todoroki, _"I've reached the limits of my capabilities in this form... I could push further but..."_

Finally, Todoroki had enough, and he started charging. Figuring he could take Kaiji out while he was down. This was it, Kaiji needed to make a decision. He could rush his third stage transformation, perhaps give himself the physical power to overwhelm Todoroki and get this fight over with. It would hurt, maybe leave him injured but-

His thoughts stopped, as he saw something in Todoroki's eyes. A spark of something, it wasn't excitement and their intense battle, it wasn't the fun of being in the festival or making it this far... It was desperation.

 _"I've... Never seen that look in his eyes before,"_ Kaiji realized, not moving as Todoroki closed in, _"Why is he so desperate to beat me? To win this match... Did I do this? Is he really so close to his limit too? But why, why would he be intensely pursuing victory here?"_ He remembered the anger in his eyes as the match was about to begin, _"He isn't someone who cares about fame, or bragging rights... This is, something else... Todoroki, why do you need to win this?"_ And in that moment, Kaiji realized something, _"He... He has a reason to stand out, a reason to fight for the top spot, something to prove... And I don't."_

"If you don't get up now this is OVER!" Todoroki shouted, ice beginning to form, and move towards Kaiji. It was far slower this time, as were Todoroki's movements.

 _"Dammit..."_

"I give up!"

The boy slid to a stop just a few feet from Kaiji, staring at him in disbelief, as the arena fell silent once more, "You're... Quitting? But, why?"

Kaiji slowly rose to his feet, taking a deep breath and sighing. "Well, at this point my options are limited..." He lied as all cameras focused on him while he began to explain, "I burned through that charge on my arm and shattered it, and making that thing may be fast but it costs me stamina... I told you I lost some sleep training before the games? Well, it's starting to catch up with me..." He shrugged simply, "I could try changing to third stage, but you would leave me in a mountain of ice before I finished I'm sure..." He laughed casually, brushing off his true feelings, "Of course, I could do a burst transformation to reach that stage, but that would likely leave me laid up in the nurses office again... Even if I won, I wouldn't be able to continue the tournament."

Todoroki's disbelief slowly faded, and he nodded in understanding, "You understand your limits, and when its time to break them..." Kaiji could see the relief in his eyes as the desperation vanished.

"Exactly," Kaiji grinned, but for a split second those with a trained eye could see something more. "No point in breaking my body again over this festival, I'll have other chances, so you better watch out, because next time you won't get so lucky!" He ended with confidence in his voice, as much as he could muster anyways...

Todoroki let out a relieved breath, nodding once more, "I await the day."

 **"Well it seems young Adachi has forfeited the match! That means the winner is SHOTO TODOROKI!"**

The crowd roared with cheers in response, as Kaiji made his way off the field. He hadn't won, but he showed what he could do even without the beast. There was something eating him though, a question he had never really put much thought into answering. As he thought about people like Bakugo, Midoriya, Todoroki, and even his friends Ashido and Kirishima...

 _"What is my reason for aiming for the top? Do I even have a reason? Why did I want to become a hero in the first place?..."_


	19. The Hero I Want To Be

**Guest: Thanks babe X3**

 **VictorsMyName: Of course! It'll be some time before this teenage idiot has it all figured out XD But I'm glad you are liking it!**

 **A Certain Triangle: A little excessive but I like your enthusiasm soldier!**

* * *

After leaving the Arena, Kaiji headed to the waiting room for a moment. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go to his friends just yet, figuring they would bombard him with questions and demand explanations. So, for the moment he enjoyed the quiet. Even setting his phone aside, ignoring the missed calls. He noticed three from an unknown number, likely the Prison, or more specifically his mother.

 _"I'll save the verbal assault for later."_ He sighed, taking a long drink of water before opening the door to step out of the room. He found himself questioning a few things, mainly what drove him forward. Kaiji saw other students that pushed on with a goal in mind, but Kaiji himself had never set a goal. He didn't know what he was striving for, he just wanted to be a hero... Right? _"But Todoroki, Bakugo... Even Midoriya, they have ambitions, and goals in mind... What am I doing all this for?"_

Kaiji sighed as he turned the nearest corner, walking right into a wall of muscle and bouncing off. He stumbled back and looked up, eyes going wide as he stared into the face of All Might. He quickly straightened up, "H-Hello sir!"

"Kaiji Adachi! I'm glad you're doing well after that match." He said with a bright smile as always, "I've looked over your progress, and you're doing great here! Even if you didn't win, you certainly turned some heads out there!" He laughed lightly.

"O-Oh, thank you All Might." He bowed respectfully, feeling an overwhelming gratitude towards the man for saving their lives at the USJ, "Maybe next year, right?" He laughed nervously.

"Kaiji, all formalities aside, I am curious," All Might said suddenly, "Why did _you_ come to UA?"

"Why did-" His words hitched, looking at All Might in shock. How could he have known what was eating him? "To be a Hero of course! Isn't that why everyone-"

"No Kaiji," He shook his head, "There are few who come here just to be a hero, they come to prove themselves, to be the best, to prove others wrong... The title of Hero is simply something that comes with achieving those goals." All Might explained simply, "I've seen these ideals in many of your classmates, I'm sure you have too... You however, are someone I'm having trouble figuring out, to be completely honest."

Kaiji stared at All Might for a moment, hesitating as he pondered the question again. Finally being confronted by it from someone else was forcing him to really think about of an answer, "I... I guess I just... I wanted to be with my friends..." He hadn't really put much thought into it, way back in the day when Kirishima started talking about become the next Crimson Riot and going to hero school, Kaiji just sort of went along with it...

"I am not trying to pry, or to make you feel bad... I just want to know what you strive for, what is pushing your forward." He assured, kneeling down before Kaiji to speak at eye level. "Because I've seen what you've gone through, I've read your medical reports... After the USJ, and after Tagua." All Might explained, placing a hand on Kaiji's shoulder, "Physically, your body has been to hell and back, multiple times... And I cannot imagine the pain you've been through because of it, you are so brave that I had completely forgotten, until that match, that you're still a kid... And the fact you continue to fight is truly inspiring to m- Others who have suffered grave injuries..."

Adachi nervously looked down, fighting to speak past a lump in his throat, "Wh-What do you mean?" He asked, trying to understand, _"The greatest hero, All Might, thinks I'm brave?"_

"You said something, near the end after giving up..."

 _"No point in breaking my body again over this festival."_

"I saw a look in your eyes that I've seen in young heroes before." All Might explained, "A boy your age, going through the injuries you've sustained and having any spirit left at all is incredible... If you ever felt like walking away, no one would think lesser of you for it, I certainly wouldn't."

 _"Is that really it?"_ He wondered, eyes downcast as his mind swirled in turmoil, _"Am I tired of getting maimed? Is that why I didn't push myself harder? Why I didn't fight for the top? Because I am scared of being in pain again? No... That can't be it, can it?"_

All Might surprised Kaiji suddenly, by pulling him into a hug. And he almost felt the heat behind his eyes spill over, "A-All Might..." He muttered, clenching his teeth to keep his voice steady, "Thank you..."

"Of course." He nodded, releasing him and rising back to his full height, "I must return to my post, but I felt the need to speak my peace, before you continue down this path..." His heavy footsteps echoed down the empty hall as he walked away, "Try to decide what _you_ want, and if this is really how you can achieve that goal."

Kaiji was left standing there frozen. His mind raced as he thought over everything that had happened since joining this school. Even before that, back to when he discovered his Quirk. What did he want?

 _"Do I want to become the number one hero like Bakugo or Midoriya? No, if I did I would have fought harder against Todoroki. Do I want to rescue people like 13? Maybe, but as I learned during the Entrance Exam my brute strength isn't always the best option... Do I want to emulate a hero like Kirishima does? No, I like a lot of heroes but... I've never been so devoted to one like he is. I know I want to defend people like Ashido does, but I-"_

Something seemed to click, as memories flashed before his eyes. He remembered his friends at the USJ, the anger he felt when he saw their fear. When he charged in to save Midoriya, Mineta and Asui. His raging emotions, when he stood before Noumu. His own words ringing in his mind...

 _"I'll use everything I've got! I'LL SAVE EVERYONE!"_

 _"For all of them! I'll do what I can!"_

 _"I will make sure they don't have to be afraid!"_

 _"I have to keep standing! So they don't have to be afraid! So they have hope!"_

Kaiji understood, in that moment, when he charged into battle and put it all on the line for his friends he had decided then and there what kind of Hero he wanted to be. And he kicked himself, for forgetting those feelings burning inside of him after the USJ attack. For forgetting the passion he felt, the determination, his feelings in that moment came rushing back into him like a raging fire.

"ALL MIGHT!" He suddenly shouted, voice echoing down the empty hall. The golden haired hero stopped, half turning to face him, "I know who I want to be," Kaiji declared firmly, passion burning in his eyes, "I don't care about being Number One! I don't care about being the strongest! I am going to be a Hero that gives others hope!" He shouted, "I don't want to be a symbol, I want to be a beacon of light in the darkness! For other heroes! I want to look upon the faces of my comrades at our darkest hour, and I want to see a fire in their eyes! Determination to carry on, to push beyond their limits! And most of all, in our darkest hour... I want them, to dare to hope."

All Might turned fully to face him once more, "And you're sure you have what it takes to be that Hero? You know that is what you want to become?"

Kaiji nodded, smiling confidently as the knots of tension and conflict in his stomach undid themselves, "I've already started... At the USJ, and even at the Prison, no matter what limbs I lost, bones I broke, blood I spilled... I held on." He clenched the fist tightly, "Because even in my darkest moments, I knew that things would be okay... I had no reason to expect I'd survive, but I kept going, I pushed beyond my limit because I had hope that we would all make it out, together."

As he finished, All Might stood silent in awe, but it was never visible through his reassuring smile. He stared at the boy for a moment, before finally managing the words, "Young Adachi... You have the makings of a great hero!" He declared proudly, "Seize your dream! And become a LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS!"

Kaiji nodded, "I will! Thank you All Might, for helping me see..."

"I did nothing, young man." He replied, turning and walking off back towards his booth, _"You had the true answer in your heart from the very beginning... I just gave you a little push."_

 **. . .**

"La la la la~" She drifted through the city slums, crime was rampant and gangs were fighting all over this area. It was a part of town the heroes didn't do much work in because criminals were often just fighting each other. That meant it was the perfect place to harvest pain...

"Huh?" She stopped, watching as a writhing mass of darkness began to form before her, she hummed softly, smirking as she recognized the figure, "You've been popular lately~"

"Yes, some of our endeavors have not quite bore fruit, Angel, " Kurogiri answered calmly, "But, with your help... We have a new plan in place to break the Symbol of Peace... Will you join us?"

 _"So much Pain..."_ She turned slowly, raising her thin hand, "Of course... What else will I do with all this stored pain~?" She questioned, a manic smile on her cracked, dry lips.

Kurogiri nodded, "Follow me..."

She passed through the rift, joining the villains in their newest plot. And so the shadows grew darker, and deeper...

 **. . .**

As the Festival Continued, Kaiji returned to the stands and either cheered his friends on or offered condolences in their defeat. The match between Midoriya and Todoroki blew all expectations out of the water, and blew most of the ring out of the arena. All following matches paled in comparison, even the final between Bakugo and Todoroki was lack luster.

With the final match ended, and the ceremony complete, everyone was heading home or going out to celebrate. Kaiji was waiting for his friends by the gate, as he'd already changed earlier. He wanted to tell them about his decision, and his goal from now on. But he was surprised to see that only Ashido was coming. Maybe Kirishima was just running late?

"Nah," Ashido answered, sighing and rolling her eyes, "He's meeting up with that Tetsutetsu guy to work out a sparring schedule." She explained, "At least that's what he told me, I swear those two are both insane."

"I mean, there match did last thirty minutes," Kaiji shrugged, "Maybe they knocked something loose and aren't thinking straight." He joked, earning a grin from Ashido and returning it in kind.

"Very funny," She giggled, "Come on, lets head back home and get something eat." She suggested, walking down the steps.

Kaiji nodded, following behind her, "It's a shame neither of you won, would have been great for getting scouted." He noted.

"Yeah, but Tokoyami and Bakugo completely shut us out." Ashido sighed shaking her head, "Oh well, there's always next year!"

"That's the spirit," He chuckled at her enthusiasm. Thinking over his decision, and wondering how best to tell her, "Hey uh... Mind if I ask you something?"

"Hmm? Sure what's up?" She asked as they neared the station.

"Well, it's just," Kaiji hesitated for a moment, thinking over how best to ask, "What kind of hero do you want to be? Like, what are you going to be to others?"

Ashido blinked in surprise, looking back at him for a moment and realizing how serious he seemed, "I... Well," She thought for a moment, and smiled softly, "I want to be a hero that sticks up for people, I don't need to take down big huge villains or stop evil overlords or whatever, I just wanna defend people that can't defend themselves." She decided, "Yeah, that's what I want to be... But hey, what's up with the serious question all of a sudden?" She asked curiously, tilting her head as they ascended the stairs to wait for their train.

"I met All Might in the hall after my match with Todoroki," He explained, taking a seat on an empty bench, "He asked me something like that... What I wanted to be."

"I'm sure that was easy," Ashido smiled, jumping into the seat beside him and leaning back, "Under pressure you always seem to know what to do, I noticed that when we started our hero training at UA."

"I wish it was that simple," Kaiji frowned, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, "To tell you the truth, I had no idea what I wanted to be... All this time, I've just been following along with you two." He explained, "Thinking back, I don't know if I ever decided I wanted to join UA, I just knew that's where my friends were going so... I wanted to be there."

Ashido's smile faded, she placed a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, come on Kaiji you've always wanted to help others right? You've never done a bad thing in your life!"

"I've lied."

 _"Ouch..."_ Ashido flinched a little, retracting her hand and sighing, "Sorry, guess we just kinda forgot about that whole mess... It seemed so small after the USJ attack."

"All Might told me something, during our talk... After what I've gone through, physically, no one would blame me for walking away from all this." He replied, not really putting much thought into what happened before the USJ, he was far past it now.

Ashido's eyes widened, "You... You can't possibly mean that you'd-" She hesitated to even suggest it, "Kaiji, if you left this school... I don't know if I could keep going either..." She admitted, lowering her eyes sadly, "We've been friends for so long, but after what happened at the USJ I... I don't know what I'd do without you," Ashido nervously continued while Kaiji remained silent, "What I saw you go through, it killed me, but it also inspired me to push myself! To go beyond what I thought I could do! You gave me hope, the same burning hope that I felt when All Might charged in to save the day! S-So... I guess what I'm saying is," She looked back up towards him, "You can't quit! Because I need you! And so does Kirishima!" As she stared, Ashido blinked, blushing a bit as she noticed his smirk, "Y-You didn't say yes to All Might's suggestion... Did you..."

"Nope," Kaiji leaned back, flashing a big stupid grin at her, "But it's nice to know that's the effect I have on you, because that's exactly the hero I want to be." He explained, standing up from his seat, clenching his fist, "I'm going to be someone that inspires hope in fellow heroes! Because no matter how hard villains put me down, I _will_ get back up again!" He declared, not realizing that Ashido had stood up beside him. "I know you don't like it, but I have to do it, because there is so much hate in the world, so much darkness... But I have to take it! So others don't have to," Kaiji went on passionately, "I'll be a flickering fire in the darkness, no matter what I refuse to go out... Even should my blood be spilled, my bones be splintered and my scales torn asunder! I will hang on to hope... For everyone."

 _"It this... Even the same boy I came to this school with?"_ Ashido asked herself, staring with wide eyes, and an open mouth as her best friend burned with intensity, _"Kaiji... When did you get so strong?"_ She wondered, thinking back to when they were kids. He was always so nice, kind to everyone. That's why they became friends in the first place. Back then, he was gentle and open to everyone... _"And now, you've gotten so far ahead of me... Not only in terms of power, but conviction, and determination... You've gone and left me in the dust, you said you wanted to stay with your friends, that's why you came to UA, and yet somehow you've surpassed both of us... And become this strong, driven, amazing person."_

As her silence continued, Kaiji laughed nervously, "Sorry, I might have gotten a little carried away... Today's been... Emoti-"

Ashido didn't know what else to do, how to say what she was feeling, to express the burning feeling in her chest. And so, she pounced. Startling him as she grabbed him by the collar pulling him forward, and pressing her lips against his own. His shock wearing off, as his face turned a deep shade of red before kissing her back. Suddenly all the tension he'd felt talking to her about this melted away, and everything was alright for Kaiji...

When she finally broke the kiss, the two stared at each other for a long moment. Both of them digesting what just happened, and internally deciding that they enjoyed it.

Before Ashido finally let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, "Kaiji, you're right... I hate seeing those things happen to you, I don't like watching you run off into danger, but I would rather stand by your side and face that danger together than stand in your way." She assured, offering him her hand. It brought the boy back to reality, only just realizing the train had arrived some moments ago, "Now come on, before we miss this train and are stuck here for a few more hours!"

Kaiji's face brightened with a smile, and he laughed, following her onto the train just as the doors were closing.

Maybe he hadn't won the Festival, or proved himself to other heroes and the world just yet. But he had learned who he wanted to be, and what he was aiming for. And now, he knew he had friends standing beside him that would support him. It was another step, in his long journey to becoming a great hero...


	20. UPDATE

**Hey guys, sorry no chapter today!**

 **Since the festival is over, and I've finished writing out the rest of the story I figured this would be a good time to stop and take stock, so to speak. We are at roughly the half way point of the story so far, and now that I've gotten to a good stopping point in posting, I'm gonna take a short break to review what is coming up and make sure I have everything in order and the way I want it.**

 **Now don't freak out, this isn't going to be like a month long hiatus or something, I should be back by Friday at the earliest, next Monday at the latest.**

 **So try not to go too crazy while Kaiji is gone alright XD**


	21. Hero Names

**Welcome back everyone! Todays Authors note is kind of important so stick around after the review responses so nobody is confused! There have been some developments that need to be mentioned!**

 **100PercentBadass: Glad you like it! That is some high praise that I'm not totally confident I deserve lol but I sincerely thank you!**

 **VictorsMyName: Lol Yeah I know, I guess I don't literally mean like, the story is over, but I don't want to keep pushing ahead without the episodes to go off of. I could always start reading the Manga, buuuut I'll touch a bit on that in the follow note here...**

 **ANYWAYS!**

 **I said I was going to read through the rest of what I'd written, work on it a bit and start posting today. Unfortunately, as I read through it, and looking at what I've already posted so far, I have decided to scrap the next two arcs and am doing a total rewrite.**

 **You may be wondering why, and I'm not opposed to telling anyone so I'll be straightforward. The next two arcs that were written got a little darker than I think I would have liked, after rereading, it felt like there was an unnecessary tone shift. The first Arc involving working under an abusive Pro during the Internships, and the second revolving around Kaiji's father being captured and turned into a Noumu. Dark stuff, full of action as well buuuuut in post, I decided I wasn't super into it, getting a little too angsty and dark for my tastes and I found myself questioning if I'd really written it for a plot point other than to fuck with the protagonist.**

 **Now what this means, is I sort of tried to give myself the monumental task of writing a new arc to cover what was lost over the course of this week. I've already gotten the newest Arc thought out and ready to be worked on, but at the moment I only have 5 chapters finished. Rather than burn myself out trying to keep pace with a daily posting schedule, until I have a stockpiled set of chapters I'll only be posting on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. So three chapters a week, sorry if that disappoints, but hopefully I can get back to daily posting soon!**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the upcoming Arc! From here, during the Internships, we'll be touching on the group of students that are essentially going to become Kaiji's own group for lack of a better word. Similar to Uraraka, Iida, Mineta and Asui. And you'll start seeing with all of them why I changed the name of the story to Evolution ;)**

 **Now then! I've kept you long enough! Its 4am and I want to go back to sleep XD SO HERE WE GO!**

* * *

After the Festival was over, the students were given two days to off to recover. Knowing that when they returned they may be recruited for internships. Kaiji did spend the first day resting, just lazing around and talking to his Mom about the festival, and his decision. Though he kept what happened between him and Ashido to himself, no need to kiss and tell.

After the day of rest, he decided to meet up with Kirishima for a little training. The two friends hadn't gotten much time together the past few days so it would be good to relax and touch base again. So they were hanging out in the field beyond the River, where they trained before the Festival. In a nice, quiet-

"You want me to what!?" Kaiji exclaimed, looking at Kirishima like he was insane.

"Hit me, as hard as you can!" Kirishima ordered, punching his fists together, "I need to test the limits of my hardening again! And you're the heaviest hitter I know behind Midoriya."

"Kirishima what's gotten into you?" Kaiji asked confused, "I mean, I always knew you were hardcore, and stupid, but why the urge to push your limits? The festival just ended."

"I know," He nodded, "But it made me realize how much training I need to do," He explained, "If I'd been able to withstand using my Quirk for longer, maybe I could have beaten Bakugo, I need to make my hardening stronger to stand up to more powerful villains." He added, clenching his fists, "So come on! Are you gonna help me or not?"

Kaiji could tell how serious he was, and how much it meant to his friend. But there was something else, a reason he wasn't mentioning, "Alright... I'll give it a shot, but I'm not throwing one hundred percent at you right away." He added, "Give me a moment to change, guess it is about time I get that arm back." He sighed, shifting to second stage in an instant.

"Awesome, thanks bro!" Kirishima grinned, giving a thumbs up as he stood back a bit.

Kaiji went through his third stage transformation. Roaring out as he grew in size, a new arm emerging from his left stump. As he finished up his change, he tested it out the new arm, having gone a few days without a real one. Once that was finished, he turned his eyes onto Kirishima. Surprisingly, he seemed completely unfazed by Kaiji's form. Something about that made the boy happy, knowing his friends weren't scared of him anymore.

"You ready?" He asked, his body hardening completely. Kaiji gave a grunt and nod, "Alright, I'll brace myself... Hit me whenever you're ready!"

Kaiji looked briefly at his clawed hand, _"I probably shouldn't go one hundred percent, I'd rather not cripple my friend..."_ He nodded, and clenched his hand into a fist, cocking back and throwing an underhanded punch to make up for the size different.

The impact created a shock wave, and Kirishima slid back wincing in minor pain. He shook it off, looking up at him, "I said full power Kaiji! I want to feel it!" Kaiji growled a little, cocking back once more and slugging Kirishima harder, "Gah!" He gasped, sliding back further but holding his ground, "Good, that's more like it! AGAIN!"

The two friends kept going, though as they neared the hour limit Kaiji was forced to change back. Any longer and he risked hurting his body, and anyways Kirishima was pretty much worn down completely at that point too. The two friends collapsing in the grass, staring up at the afternoon sky.

"Think that helped?" Kaiji questioned curiously, looking over his new arm and getting adjusted. Wiggling his fingers and making sure everything worked properly.

"Maybe," Kirishima shrugged, panting as he grinned, "But it sure made me feel better."

"About losing?"

"Eeh... No, it was something else," Eijiro admitted, but waved him off, "But don't worry about it."

"Hey come on," Kaiji chuckled, sitting up, "What's up? You know you can talk to me."

Kirishima hesitated for a moment before sighing, "Meh, it's something stupid... Really, I just needed you to knock some sense into me."

"Is that what this _"training"_ was really about?" Kaiji asked curiously, cocking an eyebrow.

"Kinda..." He admitted, sitting up and releasing a nervous laugh, "I uh... Miiight have seen you and Ashido yesterday at the station..."

Kaiji blinked, stiffening, "Oh..."

"And I heard what you said," He continued, "Your plans for being a hero," Flashing a smile at him, "I'm happy for you, really, I'm glad you've got it all figured out."

"You're not... Mad at all about Ashido and me?" Kaiji asked nervously, the three had been friends for years. But Kirishima was hanging around her long before Kaiji joined the group. Sure, Kaiji had feelings for Ashido, but he had never even stopped to think about Kirishima, "Its not like we're a thing now anyways... I think that was just nerves, or tension..."

"I was taken by surprise, and I maybe let myself get carried away in thinking about it," Kirishima shrugged, "I know you guys wouldn't do something like that for no reason, so I was kinda kicking myself for getting steamed about it."

"So you had me beat the crap out of you to feel better?" Kaiji blinked in realization.

"Heh, that's right!" Kirishima grinned, getting up to his feet and stretching, "Doubting my friends? That was not very manly at all, but I think I've gotten even with myself now."

"You're an idiot Kirishima." Kaiji laughed, standing up as well.

"No, I'm a man!"

"I'm starting to wonder if there is even a difference."

 **. . .**

The next day, it was back to business as usual...

"A bunch of people recognized us!" Ashido was beaming, the kids all huddled around the center of class talking. Minus the usual self induced outcasts, Bakugo and Tokoyami, "Everyone was stopping us to talk on the way here!"

"Stopping _you_ maybe," Kirishima chuckled, "I think you've got a few fans Ashido!"

"Oh yeah right!" She argued, laughing it off.

"A bunch of people were staring at me!" The invisible girl, Hagakure giggled, shifting back and forth, "It was kind of embarrassing!"

"Isn't that normal for you?" Ojiro commented with a chuckle.

"All it took was one Sports Festival and we're already like Celebrities!" Kaminari beamed.

Followed by Mineta, "This school really is amazing!"

The door opened, and everyone got back into their seats with super human speed.

"Good morning."

"Good morning Mr. Aizawa." They all replied formally, he had certainly whipped them into shape in regards to quieting down.

Asui tapped a finger to her face, "Mr. Aizawa you don't have bandages anymore." She pointed out, "That's good news..."

"The old lady went a little overboard in her treatment," He replied, scratching his cheek, Kaiji noticed he had a scar under his left eye now, "Anyway's, we have a big class today on hero-informatics."

 _"Crap, I've been working so hard to train I've barely touched the book work!"_ Kaiji realized, dreading what was to come.

"You need code names," Aizawa explained, "Time to pick your hero identity."

"THIS IS GONNA BE TOTALLY AWESOME!" Half the class was nearly jumping out of their seats. Until Mr. Aizawa's eyes began to glow, and they all returned to silence and proper seating.

"This is related to the pro hero draft picks I mentioned the last time we were in class together," He continued once everyone was silent, "Normally students don't have to worry about the draft yet, not until the second or third year actually... But your class is different, in fact... In extending offers to first years like you, pros are essentially investing in your potential." he explained calmly, "Any offers can be rescinded if their interest dies down before graduation."

"So what you're saying is," Hagakure spoke up, "We'll still have to prove ourselves even after we've been recruited."

"Correct," Aizawa nodded simply, "Now, here are the totals for those of you who got offers..." He aimed a remote at the "chalkboard" and pressed a button. Names and numbers began flashing and filling up.

Bakugo and Todoroki were at the top, with Todoroki having over four thousand! And Bakugo ending up with just three thousand. The rest were far lower, numbering in only a few hundred. Kaiji's scanned the list, he saw Kirishima there but no sign of Ashido's name. His own as at the very bottom, with only a single result.

 _"Guess people wanted to see more flair at the festival."_ He thought to himself, sighing heavily.

"Normally its a bit more spread out," Aizawa noted, "But this year we seem to have a pretty big gap."

"Todoroki scored more than Bakugo?" Jiro blinked in surprise.

"That's like the opposite of how they placed in the final though." Kaminari added.

"I mean they probably weren't too enthusiastic about working with a guy who had to be chained up at the end." Kirishima joked, instantly incurring Bakugo's wrath.

"IF I SCARED A PRO! THEY'RE JUST WEAK!"

Kaiji was thinking to himself about the offer when he heard Mineta, "Midoriya, you got none... I bet everyone was really grossed out by the way you were fighting."

"Despite these results," Mr. Aizawa continued, "You'll _all_ be interning with pros, got it? Even those of you who didn't get any offers."

"Oh, so no matter what we all get to intern." Midoriya blinked in surprise.

"Yes, you all got to see combat with real villains during the attack on the USJ Facility," Aizawa explained, "But it will still be helpful to see real pros at work... Up close and personal, in the field, first hand."

"And for that we need hero names!" Sato fist pumped excitedly.

"Things are suddenly getting a lot more fun!" Uraraka beamed.

"These heroes names will likely be temporary," Aizawa stated, "But take them seriously or-"

The door burst open, "You'll have HELL to pay later!"

 _"Uh oh,"_ Kaiji blinked, _"I recognize that voice..."_

"What you pick today could be your code name for life," She said, heels clicking across the floor as she approached Aizawa, "So choose carefully or you could end up with something utterly indecent!"

"Its Midnight~" A few of the boys fawned over her.

Aizawa sighed, "Yeah, she's got a point... Midnight will have final approval over your names, it's not really my forte... Names are important, it helps reinforce your image and who you want to be as a hero in the future, these code names can tell people exactly what you represent... Take All Might, for example."

Large cards were passed down each row of students along with markers for writing on the card. Kaiji accepted his and passed back the final two to Tokoyami. He stared blankly at the card, already hearing people start getting to work as he thought about his own name.

 _"I know what I want to be... But how do I translate that into a name?"_ He wondered, as students started going up, starting with Aoyama.

"The shining hero!" He declared, "My name is, 'I Can Not Stop Twinkling'!" He announced confidently.

"I like the idea, but lets get rid of the 'I' and shorten Can Not, to Can't." Midnight replied, changing his card. Groans of annoyance rising from the class.

"Hmm, how about this..." He stood up, smiling nervously as he approached the board, "It's kind of a play on my name, and my power." He explained, holding up his card at the front, "Kaiju."

"Hmm, I see what you're going for," Midnight responded, holding a hand to her chin, "But, using a name that means 'Giant Monster' is a little more scary than reassuring." She chuckled, "Try again."

Kaiji frowned, sighing as he headed back to his seat, "Alright..."

"Okay I wanna go next!" Ashido beamed, getting up and rushing to the front, showing her card eagerly, "Alien Queen!"

"Hold on!" Midnight exclaimed, "You mean like that horrible Monster with the Acidic blood!? I don't think so!"

Kaiji couldn't help but chuckle, as Ashido limped back to her desk in defeat. Quickly returning his eyes to his card, _"Yeah I guess Kaiju was sort of on the nose."_ He thought to himself, _"Maybe..."_

"I've got mine!" Kirishima announced as he approached the front, "The Sturdy Hero, I am Red Riot!"

"Interesting," Midnight smiled, hands on her hips, "You're paying homage to the chivalrous hero, Crimson Riot."

"That's right," Kirishima nodded, "He's kinda old school, but some day I wanna be just like he was, Crimson is my idol!" He declared confidently.

"Hmm," She nodded in response, "If you're baring the name of someone you admire you have that much more to live up to."

Kirishima grinned, raising his fist, "I accept the Challenge!"

Kaiji smiled as he watched Kirishima return to his seat, _"That helped me more than you know."_ He thought, smiling as he got to writing while the other students continued, _"I want to be a beacon of hope... A flame that never burns out..."_

After a few more went, Kaiji saw his opening and stood up, "I think I've got mine figured out," He said as he approached the front. No longer feeling nervous as he set his card down, showing it to everyone with a smile, "I think this will fit who I want to be perfectly," He nodded, shaking off any more worries, "The Ever Burning Hero, The Cinder Drake!"

Midnight nodded her head, "I see, a cinder... A burnt out source of lighting material that is still capable of igniting fires... And I'm guessing Drake because of your reptilian features?" She chuckled.

Kaiji blushed a little, laughing nervously, "That's right! I want to be a hero that people can look to for hope even in their darkest moments, trusting that even if they can't fight... I will never burn out, my fire will light the darkness and give everyone hope!" He declared, raising a fist. Before he remembered where he was, he blushed deeper, looking at his classmates who all stared in shock. Kaiji realizing that the only two people that knew of his new goal were Ashido and Kirishima.

"Agh~!" She cheered, swooning in an exaggerated manner, "Such staggering confidence and determination! I love it! Yes, that name is more than acceptable!" And the rest of the class followed, cheering Kaiji on and making him blush even deeper while his chest swelled with pride.

"Thank you Ma'am, a-and everyone else." Kaiji nodded with a big smile, bowing his head as he returned to his seat.

 **. . .**

After class most of the group was just hanging around going over their Internship forms and looking at their choices. Kaiji only had the one option, and that meant he had no choice. But he had never heard of this Agency before, he was going to ask Midoriya because he seemed to know everything about this stuff... But All Might came and took him away without warning.

"-aiji... Kaiji!"

"Bwah?!" He yelped, jumping in his seat as he turned to look at Kirishima and Ashido, "Oh, hey guys what's up?"

"You were totally spacing out dude," Kirishima noted, crossing his arms, "What's up?"

"Oh, sorry it's nothing." He assured, "Just trying to figure out anything I can about this Agency, the AMA." Kaiji explained leaning back, "They are located in the Dokuga District, on the coast, but other than that I don't know anything." He shrugged, "Whoever I'm interning with didn't exactly send a lot of info..."

"At least you got a request," Ashido huffed, sitting down on top of his desk casually, "I got even further than you did! And I didn't get a single offer!"

"I'm sure you'll find your fame," Kaiji assured with a nervous laugh, "There are plenty of great heroes around here to intern with."

"I've already got mine picked," Kirishima grinned, "I'm gonna fight bad guys in the big city!"

"You two both get to go out somewhere exotic," Ashido rolled her eyes, "I'm stuck here! This sucks..."

Kaiji was gonna try to say something helpful when he had a sudden realization, "You're right... We're all gonna be heading out by the weekend."

"Yeah, what about it?" Kirishima asked, noticing his changing expression.

Kaiji looked down, "It's just... Well, this is the first time we've ever all been separated..." He explained, "I mean, I know it's only gonna be for a week, but still... I'm nervous." Kaiji admitted.

"The guy who stood up to that monster at the USJ," Kirishima cocked an eyebrow, "And those villains at Tagua Prison, is nervous about going out of town?"

"Heh, yeah I guess you're right, what am I worried about anyways?" He brushed it off, putting on a smile as he stood up from his desk, "This week will be fun, I can't wait hear what you all learned once we're back together!"


	22. The Next Stage Of Training

**Drakedragon297: Yeah, I really got stuck on the name for some time but I like where I landed with it lol hope everyone else does too!**

 **IVReal: Thanks, though I am certainly kicking myself in regards to increasing the workload XD**

 **VictorsMyName: Yeah, I knew what the next arc was, I just had no idea what the time frame of it was because I didn't want to look too far ahead in an effort to avoid spoilers. But if it is months later, than I can definitely fit in another arc or two XD**

 **A Certain Triangle: Oh how I've missed your rampant screaming...**

* * *

The Dokuga District was made up of a bunch of smaller, coastal towns. The main one being not much larger than Kaiji's home town, which put him at ease as he stepped off the train at the station. He could see from his elevated position, ships coming in and out of the bay. The districts towns covered the area around a large cove of water in a half circle. The two tips being connected by a massive bridge large enough for the huge cargo ships coming in to pass under.

Kaiji took a deep breath, the air thick with the smell of the ocean, "This place is beautiful..." He muttered, holding his duffel bag close as well as the case that had his hero costume in it as he made his way down the stairs and into the city.

While working the internship he'd be staying here in the city, at the agency he was working for. He packed all the extra clothes he'd need, but he was still a little unsure of being out here alone for so long. As he passed by the modest buildings and the people making their morning commutes, he studied the feel of the city. Everyone seemed to be doing okay, but he spotted out a few worried faces...

 _"Hope dad's trip goes well too."_ Kaiji thought to himself, as he neared the address closer to the docks. His father decided to take the week to go visit Kaiji's mother at the prison. He hadn't gotten the chance to go down there yet since the attack and with Kaiji out of town he had no reason to stay home.

The young boy came to a stop at the doors of a massive warehouse. It must have been twice the width and height of any of the others. He quickly looked down at the paper he had for confirmation, "Yeah... This is it." He took a deep breath, and approached the doors, pushing them open and stepping inside.

He stood in a room disconnected from the rest of the Warehouse, it looked like a waiting room. A nice older woman sitting behind the desk, "Good morning!" She waved him off with a bright smile, "You must be the young Cinder Drake."

"Y-Yeah that's right." He smiled back, offering a hand to shake, "Kaiji Adachi, pleasure to meet you."

"Amalia Krowe," She greeted with a nod, shaking his hand. "Please go on in, Darius is expect you, head to the end of the hall through the big double doors."

"Thank you, I will." He bowed his head respectively, and made his way through the doors leading further inside.

As he passed through the hall he noted the various rooms. Most were bedrooms, no doubt, but he also noticed a large cafeteria and a room full of storage crates. He reached the end doors, and pushed them open. Kaiji's eyes widening as he stepped into some kind of massive training room! There were weights all over, benches and various other pieces of workout equipment around the sides. While in the center was a large battle ring like the one from the Festival!

He noticed a shirtless man walking towards him with a serious expression. He was wearing baggy red pants with no shoes. He had big monkey feet, covered in patches of fur. His hands were nearly the same, with a thick patch of fur running from the back of his hands up to his shoulders. His golden brown hair was wild and unkempt, rolling down his back all the way to the base of his long flexible looking monkey tail. His fur was a bronze shimmering color, and what parts of his skin Kaiji could see were rippling with muscle.

"Kaiji Adachi!" He greeted, stopping a few feet from him, "Darius Krowe, but you can call me DK! You already met my Mother at the desk I assume?"

"Uh, y-yes I did sir." Kaiji answered a little surprised, "Its good to meet you."

"Sorry for the lack of details, was a little busy when I put in that request." He chuckled, placing his muscular hands on his hips, "Anyways, I'm glad you decided to come! I've had an interest in you ever since I saw footage from the Tagua Prison attack." He explained, waving for him to follow as he began walking around the large training hall.

"Oh uh, thank you." Kaiji answered politely, nodding as he followed, "To tell you the truth, I don't know anything about what you're all about here... But I'll help however I can."

"That's the spirit," He chuckled, "But I didn't call you here to help us, no no young man..." He stopped and turned finally, "I called you here, because at that Festival I saw you fight and throw in the towel, and I realized you had barely begun to grasp your power."

"What do you mean?" Kaiji blinked in confusion.

"You and I have similar Quirks, young Adachi," He explained with a grin, "And I see you've been channeling yours inefficiently... Come, I'll explain more clearly." Darius lead the way to a large whiteboard, "Now, my Quirk is called Kong! I have aspects of an ape, and I can shift into a great ape form that I use to fight larger, more powerful villains! Sound familiar?"

"It's like my two transformations..." Kaiji blinked in surprise.

"That's right, you see I've learned through study and research into my Quirk and others of similar nature that sometimes when two Quirks are passed on through DNA they can not only combine but mutate into dangerous, primal forces of nature! I do my best to seek out these oddities and put them on the right path, just like you... However what you fail to realize is that you're only supposed to have one transformation." Darius continued, drawing it out on the board, "You accessed your Quirk early, and your body could not handle a full transformation, and so you shifted into second stage," He explained, drawing out figures on the board, "I watched you changing forms, and realized you have had little training with someone that understands our Quirk-Type... You see, this form you call your 'Second Stage', is just a midway point between you and your beast form."

"Wait... Are you saying I'm not supposed to be going into second stage at all?" He questioned confused, still trying to wrap his mind around the idea that there were other Heroes with a Quirk like his own.

"Hahah! Far from it young man," Darius laughed, voice echoing throughout the empty hall, "I wasn't just being general when I said we were similar, I had the same problem when I was a kid, the key isn't ignoring the second stage, it's making your second and first stage one in the same!"

"WHAT!?" Kaiji exclaimed, stumbling back, "I-I could do that!?"

"Of course!" Darius replied, "As you've started getting a handle on your powers, you've noticed you can access them more and more from your human form yes? That's the key, lets look at it like this..." He drew out a few figures, showing a human form, a lizard form and the larger monster form.

Kaiji blinked as he watched him scribbling with surprising detail, "Huh... Nice drawings..."

"THANK YOU!" He beamed at the compliment, "Anyways, tell me, assuming your beast form is your maximum power, what do you think the percentage of your power is that could be accessed from your human form?"

Kaiji blinked, "Uh... Good question..." He muttered, looking down at his hands, thinking over the changes he could make during battle at a moments notice. And when his body began hitting limits, "I'd say Ten, maybe Fifteen percent if I push myself." He answered.

"A solid estimate, I guessed the same numbers when I watched you fight." Darius nodded, "You have a good grasp on your limits, that much is clear... Now, what do you think you can push that too in your second stage?"

"Easy," Kaiji answered, barely thinking as he'd already explored the limits during training, "Thirty Percent of my max power." Comparing what he'd learned during his own training, he was confident he understood the gap between his levels of strength.

"Wrong." Darius said quickly, "You see, this is where the stage shifting comes in, it doesn't matter how well you trained in shifting forms quickly if it still hurts your body or drains stamina." He explained, "Tell me, what are the repercussions of jumping from human form to your final stage?"

"I..." Kaiji hesitated, unsure about giving away his weaknesses. No, he could trust this man, he was a hero too, "It burns my regeneration boost, normally changing into that form will heal my injuries, no matter how bad... But jumping from human form to final form damages my body severely, causing the regeneration to focus purely on keeping my body from falling apart."

"So you understand, good..." Darius nodded in approval, "You may think that you've mastered changing to form two just because you can do it quickly, however, bursting through a transformation like that reduces your bodies ability to stabilize the power you try to draw from your final stage." He explained, "Now, consider the amount of power your body could handle, if the first and second stage were the same, acting as a stable conduit to generate that power through..."

Kaiji looked at his hand, _"Have I really not noticed the strain my body goes through in those fast transformations?"_ He asked himself, doubting his own judgement suddenly, _"Maybe that's why I felt so burned out fighting Todoroki after only just a few minutes, maybe it wasn't the lack of sleep after all but my own carelessness... But could the training this man is offering really help me stabilize my body? And my Quirk?"_

"Now now, don't go beating yourself up over it." He chuckled, clapping a big hand down on Kaiji's head surprising the boy, "You're still young, and you've already mastered more than I had at your age, so I want to help you! Here at the AMA, we work hard to train capable heroes who can handle the worst!"

Kaiji blushed lightly under his hand, "S-So... What is the AMA exactly?"

"The Anti Monster Agency." He explained proudly, "Founded by heroes that specialize in fighting large, dangerous villains or even monsters! The bigger the better! We knock down the big bastards other heroes can't handle in terms of brute strength!"

"Whoa..." Kaiji blinked in surprise, looking up at him, "That's amazing!"

"Now then! Lets get your room picked out, and get to work training you!"

 **. . .**

After setting up in one of the many rooms, Kaiji put on his training clothes. Setting aside the costume for now, he'd need that for when they went out on patrols. But for today it was going to be just training, that sounded simple enough though Kaiji wasn't entirely sure how they planned on helping him meld his forms.

He stepped back out into the training area, looking around briefly, "Hey uh, where is everyone?" He asked curiously, noticing there didn't seem to be anyone here but him and Darius. And this place was so big, there had to be more regulars to warrant a training area this sized.

"Out on the early morning patrol, they should be back soon." He waved him off, rolling his shoulders as he approached.

"Alright," Kaiji shrugged, stepping up in front of him, "I'm ready, so how do we do this?"

"We will start simple," He began with a smirk, "You must begin to channel your transformation, but retain your human form... With what you've told me about your Mothers Quirk it seems that your body will attempt to balance power draw by reconstituting Cells into your second stage but that won't be necessary if you can merge forms... Draw upon energy from your final stage, let it flow into you and maintain it." Darius explained, "From what I saw at the festival, the energy you drew in was quickly released or used for attacks... Try holding that energy inside, and letting it flow through your entire body!"

Kaiji nodded, his smile turning to a look of determination. He began channeling that power, clenching his fists tightly as he reached out to that well of energy deep inside of him. His form shifting slowly even as he tried to fight it. But just as he was about to begin changing, Darius karate chopped him on the head.

"OW!" He yelped, stumbling back and breaking concentration, "What was that for!?"

"You're too tense," He stated bluntly, "You need to relax... Hmm, maybe we should start smaller." Darius paused, scratching his chin, "Why don't you try just using your hand?"

"Just my hand?" He questioned, rubbing his stinging head, "Okay... I'll see if I can handle that."

Kaiji braced himself, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. He tried to think of it different this time, instead of diving into the energy within him, he reached out for it with one hand.

 _"Don't release this power... Let it swell, grow inside my arm... Don't let it change my body, let my body change on its own to sustain it!"_ He clenched his left arm with his right hand, feeling scales start to form just past his elbow while claws grew from his fingers.

It felt like he was just forming the weapons he usually did but... Something was different, he kept pumping that energy into his arm and it started to burn. He winced, his arm straining for a moment before beginning to balance out. His heart was pounding, like it would burst out of his chest. Kaiji finally opened his eyes, panting as he looked at his left arm.

"W-Whoa..." He muttered, seeing the way it had bulked up. His scales only grew from his elbow to his fingertips, everything above that was still human flesh. But something else had changed, his arm was more muscular, almost to the extent of his second stage. Though it looked terribly disproportionate at the moment, compared to the rest of his thin body, "I... I can feel the strain." He added, wincing as he started letting the power slip away.

"Amazing," Darius smirked, crossing his arms as he watched the power fade and Kaiji's arm turn back to normal, "That's the right way, the first step... Now keep at it! I want to see you fully changed by the end of the day!"

Kaiji went wide eyed, "But that took so much energy to maintain..."

"Did I say I wanted excuses? OR THAT I WANTED RESULTS!?" He demanded intensely.

"Agh! Y-Yes sir! I'll get it done!"


	23. Hero Work

**Dog: Glad to have you back lol hope your vacation was nice. As for the scales, try not to get too sciency with that stuff XD I don't think I ever put that much serious thought into them lol**

 **IVReal: Why thank you XD I thought that would be a good gag lol**

 **DrakeDragon297: No, I have no plans now to kill Kaiji's Dad, that would be far too dark for this story.**

 **Rakuzai: There may be other characters like that showing up, but atm I don't have a bunch planned lol Also glad you're enjoying the story :D**

 **VictorsMyName: Guess you'll have to wait and see ;3**

 **Fair warning, this chapter probably has the cliffiest cliff hanger to ever hang a cliff from. Mainly because I won't be posting again until next friday XD I'll try to get a nice chapter stockpile so I can get back to daily posting and avoid more waits like this!**

* * *

The first three days of Kaiji's internship were pure hell. He spent the days pushing his body to the absolute limit, burning himself out as he attempted to contain the power and get rid of his second stage. The process was hard, and his body had trouble taking it. But beyond that, the more he talked with Darius about it, the more he was worried about what might happen once it was finished.

From what he understood, Darius once had a human form as well. But upon changing and melding the forms, that disappeared. Or at least, he had trouble forming it.

Now it was only 5:00 AM so it was still dark. But that was when he was to start training until this was mastered.

 _"Hmm?"_ He blinked, noticing his phone's light telling him he had a missed call. Kaiji reached over and grabbed it, eyes still clouded by sleep. He looked at the screen and was about to activate it when his eyes widened, seeing his fingers before he looked at the reflection on the screen.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Moments later, his door was kicked right off the hinges. Darius jumping in doing a fighting pose, "What's happening!? Are we under attack!? Is everything-" He stopped, gasping as he looked upon Kaiji, who stood before the mirror of his room, "Your body..."

It was like he evolved overnight, his body changing in the same way Darius' had. The once skinny, lackluster boy had tapped into his power further. And his body changed to keep up with it, improving in ways he couldn't have hoped for.

Like during testing, his arms were scaly from the elbows down to his finger tips, boasting more muscle than before showing his physical strength. His legs had changed the same, everything below the knee was scales ending in reptilian talons on his toes, the limbs looking powerful and capable of jumping or running faster than before. Behind him, he had a thick tail growing out just above his rear, fully scaled.

His chest was rippling with abs and defined muscles, but remained barren of scales. His head was mostly the same, but his eyes were a deep almost luminescent green now and he had a scale pattern going around his neck. It grew up and around, following up his spine to the base of his skull, and running down to the base of his tail. Overall, he seemed to have groan a few inches taller as well.

"How does it feel?" Darius questioned, smirking and crossing his arms proudly, "Is there any strain?"

Kaiji didn't look towards him, checking himself in the mirror. He opened his mouth, seeing it was filled with sharp teeth now, and his reptilian tongue was still firmly in place, "It feels... Natural." He replied finally, turning to look at him.

"Good, that's how it should feel." Darius stated with a big grin, "Now, put some clothes on, and lets take it for a test run!"

"Clothes?" He blinked, looking down at his body. His face turned deep red, realizing that he must have shredded his clothes while changing! Leaving him completely nude before his teacher, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

 **. . .**

Kaiji proudly stepped towards the fighting ground in the center of the training area. He had donned his hero costume, glad to see it still fit him well enough after his change, though he would definitely need an upgrade once he got back to school. Some things had already been changed, his chest now had big Green initials reading "CD" for his hero name. He squared up with Darius, both heroes dropping into a fighting stance.

"Now then, test the limits of your power," He commanded, "Don't worry, I can take whatever you throw at me! Once we're finished, you can tell me what percentage of power you think you're using now..."

Kaiji nodded, smirking eagerly, "Right."

"Begin!"

Kaiji wasted no time, springing right off his tail and legs, launching into the air high over him nearly reaching the ceiling. The boy seemed surprised at first, clearly not expecting that much of a boost but he shook it off during descent. Aiming himself at Darius and narrowing himself for quicker fall, picking up speed as he cocked back his claw, jade crystals forming around his finger tips.

Darius smirked, bracing himself and preparing to strike back! The two collided, the monkey man sliding back a few steps from the force as he blocked the attack. Before leaning back and throwing a kick straight up at Kaiji. The boy blocked with his tail, wrapping the limb around his leg and swinging himself around using the mans own leg as leverage, delivering a powerful punch to Darius' jaw.

The monkey man gasped, stumbling back as Kaiji released him. He wiped his mouth with an excited grin and charged, "Yes! You've reached a new level! Your body has become a near perfect conduit for your Bestial Form!" He threw a punch forward, one that Kaiji blocked while wincing in pain. Darius spun and roundhouse kicked him in the shoulder, sending him tumbling across the ground, "Show me all that you have! Reach your maximum limit!"

Kaiji recovered, digging his talons into the floor to stop himself from sliding before charging the man. He let the Jade crystals begin to form, coating his arms in the material while Darius charged forward to meet him. The two engaged up close, but Kaiji kept his arms from getting hit. Fighting back with swift kicks and tail strikes he'd never been fast enough to execute in second stage before! Darius seemed to notice what he was doing, and started aiming strikes trying to shatter the crystals that were pulsing with light, steadily gaining speed.

Kaiji ducked and dodged as best he could, waiting for the opening. He growled, bracing himself as Darius went for a leg sweep, and then launched himself high into the air. Putting even more force into it this time, he grabbed a hold of the rafters with his tail and adjusted himself.

"Come on Cinder! Show me what you can do! Give me your best SHOT!" Darius demanded, that eager, excited grin never leaving his face.

"It's ready!" Kaiji smirked, arms lighting up finally, "How about this!" He shouted, kicking off the rafters with all his might, both hands surrounded with emerald flames as he aimed himself at Darius, "Double! Draaaagon!" The distance between them closing in an instantly, "SLASH!"

Darius went wide eyed, sensing the power behind his attack at the last second. He moved so fast he vanished from Kaiji's sight, leaving him to slash right into the arena floor. Tearing deep into the concrete with an explosion of dust and debris flying all over, knocking over some of the training equipment. Kaiji stood in the center, pulling both his hands free of the earth he stumbled back panting.

Darius stood nearby, smirking at him proudly, "So... What do you think?"

Kaiji looked to Darius, raising his clawed hand, "I'm pushing Fifty... No doubt."

Darius chuckled, nodding his head, "That sounds better than I'd hoped... Good work Kaiji, now... Lets finally get to work on showing you how to properly be a Hero!"

Kaiji grinned in response, "That's what I've been waiting for! So... What am I doing?"

 **. . .**

The sun was still rising, as Kaiji made his way towards his assigned post for today. To patrol that massive bridge out over the bay, keeping an eye on things there. Darius was off doing his own work, supposedly investigating a strange report, so Kaiji would be teamed up with another hero from his agency. He was waiting for them to arrive right now, idly walking along the bridge, casually waving to passersby that mistook him for one of the normal heroes.

"Hmm, I wonder where they are," He muttered, scratching his head as he watched the sun rise, "DK said the north side of the bridge... But they're late."

He took the moment to look down at his scaly hands, _"Can I even turn this off now? I guess I don't really need to anymore but, I wonder if this'll freak out anyone at school... I'll definitely have some explaining to do."_ Kaiji thought as he looked over his form for a moment, "The muscles are nice though." He admitted, poking his abs with a chuckle.

His attention was pulled back to the bridge however, as he heard the sound of tires screeching. Turning his head he gasped, seeing a big truck driving like a maniac. The massive semi was swerving back and forth, sending other cars swerving to the sides to avoid being hit. Even hitting a few as it went, knocking them around the bridge. Luckily it was still early, and the morning rush hadn't started, but it still had to be stopped!

"Everyone get back!" He shouted to those on the sidewalk, before charging out into the rode. Jumping over a few cars going too fast to stop as he went. He made his way to the center of the road where the Semi was driving, "Oh this is probably gonna hurt..." He muttered, bracing himself and digging in his claws, he held up his hands and waved trying to make the man stop, _"I've got this... I can do this!"_

He kept going, and Kaiji was forced to take the brunt of the impact. Arms spread wide, the truck crashed right into him. His body dented in the front, a metal screech sounding as it instantly began losing speed. He tried his best to avoid tearing up the street, but his claws dug in a few inches deep leaving scars in the road.

"Come on... Stop!" Kaiji growled, grinding slowly to a stop but veering dangerously close to the other lane, "I said... STOP!" He drove his hand through the metal, wincing in pain as he struck the engine. Whatever pressure was being applied to the acceleration was stopped, and the truck came to a halt. Kaiji stepped back, wincing in pain as he held his ribs, shards of crystal he'd reinforced his body with breaking off to pieces on the ground. "Hurts but... I don't think anything was broken." He muttered, "Speaking of which..." He jumped up onto the roof of the truck, looking beyond it at the other cars, a few toppled over and likely in need of help.

Kaiji jumped down, quickly rushing towards them. He would deal with the driver in a moment. Kaiji rushed to the first crashed car, walking around to the window, "Are you alright?" He asked immediately.

The man was older, in a suit, clearly on his way to work, "I... I think so, my head hurts..."

"Hang on," Kaiji tore open the dented door and helped him out, "You may have a concussion, wait here and I'll call an ambulance in a moment." He ordered, quickly making his way to a flipped car nearby. He carefully toppled it right side up. A woman inside was holding her baby tightly, "Ma'am! Are you and the kid okay?"

"I-I, yes," She nodded, tears in her eyes, "Thank you, yes we're okay thank you thank you!" She cried, kissing her babies head and thanking the heavens they'd survived.

Kaiji felt a sense of warmth in his chest, nodding and looking for the next car. A metal creaking alerting him to the barrier on the edge of the bridge, a car dangerously close to falling after going through it. His heart sank, knowing he may have only had seconds to spare. Kaiji charged, crossing the distance in but a few seconds. He could see multiple figures inside the vehicle, a family maybe?

 _"Dammit!"_ His eyes bulged, seeing the car tilt forward and begin to plummet. Screams coming from not only the people inside but those standing around the area watching.

Kaiji didn't think about it, he just dived over the edge. His tail wrapping around a support rail as he did so, his claws digging into the back of the cars metal trunk, "GAAAGH!" He cried in pain as the weight hit him, wincing as he struggled to hold the car, praying the metal nor his bones snapped.

"HANG ON!" Someone shouted from above, Kaiji gasped, a shadow swooping overhead as a new figure entered the scene.

The man had a bird face kinda like Tokoyami, but this one was a falcon head. Red features with a yellow beak, white feathers running down his neck to his chest. He was muscular, and had two big wings sprouting from his back. His hands ended in sharp, feline claws, while his legs were sharp hawk talons. He also had a long lion like tail behind him, however instead of ending in a tuft of fur it ended with a plume of red feathers. The only clothing he wore were silver bracers on his forearms, and a pair of red shorts.

"I've got you!" He added, his talons digging into the front of the car before he began flapping harder. Slowly lifting the car, Kaiji understood what to do and began pulling himself up as well. The two working together, using their combined physical strength to pull the vehicle up over the edge. The moment it landed, Kaiji fell to the ground, holding his stomach and wincing in pain.

While the new arrival landed beside the door and opened it, allowing the family inside to stagger out with cries of gratitude to the heroes. While the man ignored them, approaching Kaiji quickly and kneeling down in front of him, "Are you alright? Does anything feel broken?" He asked, voice full of concern.

Kaiji shook his head, "I'm fine, maybe pulled a few muscles but I'll be alright," He assured, catching his breath before slowly standing up, "Thank you, I wouldn't have been able to save them without your help."

"No, you should have never been in that position," He narrowed his eyes, "I was late, had I been here..."

"Hey," Kaiji smiled, clasping a hand onto his shoulder, "Let's not dwell on it, everything turned out alright... I'm Kaij- er... Cinder Drake, but I think Drake works just fine." He greeted with a nervous laugh.

"Gryphon, pleasure to meet you." He answered, a smile finally breaking that serious expression, "Do you know what caused the accident?"

"Truck driver," Kaiji responded, suddenly remembering what had caused the chaos as his eyes shot towards the truck, "Come on!" He moved as fast as his body would allow, rushing the vehicle and while Gryphon followed.

The bird man jumped up onto the door and pulled it open quickly, "Alright punk you've got some explaining t-" He words hitched, blinking in surprise before he gasped and suddenly started pulling the man out of his seat, "Drake quick! Call an ambulance!" He ordered.

"I- Alright," Kaiji quickly pulled out his phone and began dialing, "What happened? What's wrong with him?"

"He's covered in bites," Gryphon answered, narrowing his hawk eyes sharply, "Snake bites... Dammit..."

"Snake bites?" Kaiji repeated in confusion, "Uh, hi!" He said quickly as the phone was answered, "We need an ambulance to the north side of the bridge, a man has been bitten by a venomous snake, and there are a few injured from car accidents!"

Gryphon quickly stood up, eyes glaring at the truck, "Why don't you come out!? I know you're in there!"

As the call ended, Kaiji's eyes turned to the truck to see who Gryphon was talking too. He felt even more confusion setting in, as a Golden Cobra with eyes of ruby light slithered out from under the seat, "What... What is that?" Kaiji questioned confused.

"Grr... Stay back Kaiji!" Gryphon ordered, as the snake suddenly burst into smoke. Reforming as a woman, she had short white hair on half of her head, the other half was jet black. Her skin was tanned, but covered in white lines of symbols written in another language, maybe Chinese? Her eyes were different colors, the left golden and the right a slightly glowing purple. She was fit, athletic in build but she didn't appear very old. She wore a black, skin tight jumpsuit that covered her body from her thighs to her shoulders, the rest of her arms and legs were exposed.

As she looked upon them, a wicked smirk crossed her lips, "Oh my~ I see DK took on a new disciple while I was away... How cute," She purred, licking her lips, "Oh well, just another hero for me to break!"

 _"Who the hell is this woman?!"_ Kaiji wondered, staying ready for a fight even though his body hurt, "Gryphon... Who is that? A villain?"

The hawk eyed hero didn't dare take his eyes off her as he responded, "She's a super villain... One of many forms, that once plagued our district, we sent her to prison a few years ago but she escaped," Gryphon clenched his feline fists, "I was investigating a lead with Darius... That's why I was late, we've been seeing more and more hints of her return... Stay on your guard Cinder!"

"R-Right!" Kaiji nodded quickly, focusing his eyes on the woman.

"Even though you escaped, I never thought you'd be arrogant enough to return here, Zodiac!"


	24. An Old Enemy

**IVReal: Yeah honestly when I wrote out the set of chapters I didn't plan on ending that weekend so badly XD The worst part, is this weekend might end with an even bigger one lmao X3**

 **VictorsMyName: Do they? I have only ever seen up until like the shark guys arc in One Piece XD**

 **Wolfdragon And Guest: Welcome aboard this crazy train! Always glad to see new readers enjoying the story X3**

* * *

"Aww don't sound so sad~ This should be a happy reunion!" She snickered, jumping down from the truck, "Besides... I couldn't just let your victory hang over my head... All those months in Tagua," She shook her head as Kaiji went wide eyed in realization, "All I could think about was breaking free and getting my REVENGE!" She declared, amusement vanishing as her voice turned wicked, "You think my former crimes were terrible well you had better prepare yourself Gryphon because I won't stop until the Dokuga District is either under my control or burned to the ground!"

 _"She's from Tagua... I had heard some villains escaped during the chaos, I have to try and put this right!"_ Kaiji thought, kicking himself as he prepared for a fight.

"You should have stayed in prison!" Gryphon declared, charging forward to attack her.

But as he did, she suddenly burst into smoke once more, "Sorry Gryphon~ But I'm not stupid enough to try fighting you now..." She teased, having turned into a mouse, skittering away outside of their view, "I'll fight you when I'm good and ready, for now... I'll enjoy causing some Chaos in your district!"

Gryphon growled lowly, looking around for any sign of her, "Dammit!"

Kaiji watched him, he was seething with anger. This villain must have been more dangerous than he'd realized, and to think she could just slip away like that...

"Come on," Kaiji said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "We need to finish helping everyone here, then we'll report to Darius."

 **. . .**

After the ambulances and police arrived to take care of the injured, Kaiji and Gryphon returned to the Agency. Darius had already been informed of Zodiac's return, and was waiting for them along with a few other heroes in the training hall. While they were entering, Kaiji noticed with some surprise, a girl he'd seen during the Sports Festival, from Class 1-B, as well as a larger man that was arguing with Darius.

She stood silent behind the man shouting at Darius. Her hair was blonde with two big horns coming out of her head, and she had big blue eyes and a rounded nose and face. Kaiji noticed hooves at the bottom of her feet, and a puffy tail behind her. She was dressed in her horse themed costume, fitting to her appearance. She wore a horse halter around her head with a lead rope dangling from the back. Her outfit resembled a jockey uniform, with skin tight pants and shirt along with finger-less gloves. She wore belts secured around her collarbone, biceps, and lower torso. As well as boots that not only guarded her hooves but also had stirrups attached.

"Absolutely not," The man barked at Darius, slashing a hand through the air. He was wearing full body armor, blue and red lights all over the sleek black material like some kind of cyborg warrior. His face hidden behind a tinted visor, "I will not put my intern in danger for your damn hunt, we should send the students home and handle this ourselves!"

"She knows what we can do, Vector, all of our Quirks!" He argued back at him, "These students have incredible potential, they could give us the edge we need to put her away again, this time for good!"

"Perhaps we should ask them what they want to do." Gryphon spoke up from beside Kaiji, turning their eyes to him, "These are not just children, they are heroes in training... They must have a say in this."

"Tch, fine..." Vector grunted, turning to his intern who seemed to flinch under his gaze, "Zenyatta, what do you think about all this? We're facing a dangerous, deadly villain here... It would be safest for you to return home, but the decision is yours to make apparently..."

"I..." She hesitated momentarily, blushing as she realized all eyes were on her. The girl was definitely timid, "I don't know..." Kaiji blinked, she had an accent, was she one of the foreign students at their school? "It sounds scary but... This could also be a great learning experience..."

"And what about you Cinder?" Darius asked, looking to the boy expectantly.

"Me?" Kaiji blinked, hesitating for a moment, _"She said she was from Tagua... That makes me feel somewhat responsible, but if I told them that, they might think I'm taking this personally, maybe I am?"_ He shook it off, steeling his resolve before nodding, "I want to help, I saw what kind of chaos she's trying to cause at the bridge today, so many people might have died just because she attacked one truck driver, she's dangerous and needs to be stopped!"

"Well spoken." Gryphon nodded his head, "However, you need to rest before you do anything, that incident on the bridge no doubt tore some of your muscles."

Kaiji laughed nervously, "R-Right, my regeneration should take care of it shortly..."

"And also sir," He turned attention back to Darius, "She said something at the bridge, I'll fight you when I'm good and ready..." Gryphon explained, crossing his arms, "I think this means she might be weak, or at least out of practice after her time in prison... There is a good chance she may not even resurface before the internships are over."

"Hmm, a fair point," Darius nodded, scratching his chin, "Alright, for now... Let us head out, and make preparations," He decided, turning to Vector, "The interns can wait here, while Cinder rests and recovers... We will call for backup if we need you," He smirked and nodded, "Everyone else! Fan out and get information! I want this crazy woman back behind bars before the day is over!"

"YES SIR!"

 **. . .**

After all the pros departed, Kaiji was left sitting around. It was just him and Zenyatta remaining at the AMA while everyone looked for Zodiac, aside from the nice old lady at the front desk anyways but she had vanished shortly after Darius left. Kaiji knew he wouldn't be much use in his current state, at least not against a super villain, so for now he had to take it easy.

"So, you're from Class 1-B right?" He asked suddenly, the silence becoming to loud to bare.

"O-Oh, yeah I am." She nodded, "You're from 1-A right? I saw you compete at the sports festival... Adachi, right?"

He nodded with a smile, "So you got scouted by Vector?" Kaiji asked curiously, wonder how this animal girl ended up with someone like him.

"No, not really..." She admitted with a sigh, "I'm from the United States, so they already had me locked in to visiting an agency with primarily American members to make it easier." She explained, "I'm Pony Tsunotori by the way."

"Nice to meet you." He answered politely, "Wow, all the way from the USA? That's pretty cool... Hey, where does the name Zenyatta come from?"

Pony blushed lightly, "O-Oh that... She was my families prize race horse, I used to ride her all the time when I was little." She explained with a smile, "We retired her a few years ago, the old girl can't race anymore... I figured it would make a good hero name for a horse girl." She laughed nervously.

Kaiji quirked an eyebrow, "Horse girl? With those horns I was thinking you were more a bull or an ox." He noted curiously.

Tsunotori shook her head, "Nnnope! According to the doctor my Quirk power cells lean closer to Equine! The horns are where my real power kicks in though."

"Well they look cool, all I've got are these lame scales, and this big tail." He shrugged, tail lifting up and slapping the table beside him.

"No no the tail is really neat!" She laughed in response, making Kaiji happy that she was comfortable. He could practically sense the tension she had around here, he couldn't imagine being a foreigner in a new land, being so far away from home. But as her laughter died out, she slowly turned to a frown, "So... You've fought villains before, right?"

Kaiji nodded his head slowly, "Yeah, at the USJ... And Tagua Prison."

"I know before the Festival, our class was a little rude and... Most of them wanted disregard the fact you'd already had a real fight," Zenyatta went on nervously, "But, I saw during the festival, it did make a difference... We had both had the same training, but some of your class members completely squashed us because of our lack of experience... I guess, I want to know what we're dealing with here, I won't lie to you... I'm really scared about fighting a villain, especially if my first one is going to be a big time villain like this Zodiac..."

Adachi sighed lightly, leaning back in his seat, _"She's right... I'm here palling around and making nice, when I should be preparing."_ He thought to himself before nodding to her, "You're right to be scared... Fighting villains is dangerous, petty thugs are no big deal, we learned that at the USJ, as most of them don't really have much control or training for their Quirks." He explained calmly, "But super villains, they are deadly, and they will not hesitate... So neither should you." He added, holding up his arms, "At the USJ, I lost both my arms, a crazy villain with the ability to decay anything he touched ripped them off."

She went wide eyed with fear, "R-Ripped off your arms!?"

"That's right... If it wasn't for my regenerative powers, I wouldn't be here, I'd have lost all chances of becoming a hero right then and there." Adachi nodded his head, "Its scary, knowing that they wouldn't hesitate to kill you if they get the chance..." He looked back up at her, realizing she looked absolutely terrified.

"I-if they really are so vicious, and wicked..." She muttered, looking down at her hands, as if imagining losing the limbs herself, "Why do heroes put their lives on the line? Knowing we aren't allowed to kill, we have to risk our bodies and lives just to capture them? I understand protecting your friends and family but... Why should we have to fight them?"

"It's because they're evil," Kaiji exclaimed suddenly, _"This is my moment, I can inspire her! Start being the hero I want to be!"_ He decided with fire in his eyes, "At the USJ that freak took my arms, tried to kill my friends and All Might! But I still went after him again at Tagua, because I knew it was the right thing to do! Because I realized at the USJ that not everyone can stand up to villains like that... That if it wasn't for me, other people I cared about might have died." He shook his head, looking her in the eyes, "That's why we _have_ to fight them!"

She hesitated for a moment, before nodding slowly, "I... I get it... I'm sorry, maybe its just nerves," She shook her head, steadying herself, "I know I want to be a hero, I'm just a little scared, I would have much rather started on some low level thugs than... Well, the crazy Zodiac woman."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING CRAZY!?" A voice echoed throughout the training hall, both teens eyes darting around looking for the source before it landed on a small bird not too far away.

"Is... That a chicken?" Kaiji blinked in confusion.

"Rooster, actually." Pony corrected.

"Neither, actually!" The bird squawked, before suddenly erupting in smoke and reforming as that vile woman from the bridge, "So glad I could catch you alone~ I knew that idiot Darius would take off looking for me, he'd never even consider me coming right here..."

Adachi was already on his feet, getting between her and Zenyatta who was already trembling with fear on her own feet er- hooves, "What do you want?!" He demanded, trying to buy more time for his body to heal.

"Oh not much, just to break those heroes by killing their little sidekicks!"


	25. Break Through The Limit

**VictorsMyName: Oh wowo yeah they are pretty similar lol guess I'm glad I got rid of the second form XD As for Pony, yeah I have a few plans to include some of the minor characters more X3 Also, let me know if anyones knows what her Quirk actually is XD I got the name of it, but couldn't find any good details anywhere I looked! So I kinda just made a guess in this chapter...**

 **IVReal: Because Zodiac is smarter than the average bear, and will be a big part of the coming arcs X3 This fight may not last long, but don't expect her to just vanish any time soon.**

* * *

"What do you want?!"

"Oh not much, just to break those heroes by killing their little sidekicks!"

Kaiji clenched his fists tightly, as she started to circle them slowly like a shark waiting to attack. He swallowed nervously, starting to sweat, _"I need more time!"_ He thought desperately, "S-So... Zodiac, interesting name..." He spoke up, earning a confused look from Tsunotori, "And those symbols... You're not exactly a local are you?"

"Hmph, good eye kid." She smirked in response, deciding to humor his little game, "You're right, I'm from China... My work carried me here, and after arriving I realized how ripe with self righteous fools this place seemed to be... So, I made it my mission to cut them all down~ And claim this district for my own!" Her smirk widened into a wicked grin, "As for the name, it's really just my Quirk... Zodiac." She went on, one hand slowly waving over her body, "I can transform into any of the twelves creatures of the Chinese Zodiac, gaining their abilities, or taking on their aspects... and whatever weakness they might have, pretty straightforward."

 _"The Chinese Zodiac? Like the calendar? Crap I don't remember all of those animals!"_ Kaiji narrowed his eyes, realizing that this woman could shift between so many forms, with so many abilities at her disposal it was no wonder she was such a problem! "That's a pretty amazing Quirk, too bad you chose crime over heroism..."

"Heh, you think you're clever don't you boy?" She asked with her hands on her hips, making Kaiji stiffen, "Do you honestly think I just came here without a plan in mind?" She questioned, crossing her arms, "Those pros won't be coming back for some time... Not when my gang start leaving clues to chase after... Why do you think your bird friend was late this morning?" She questioned with a wicked grin.

Kaiji's eyes widened, "No way... You couldn't have planned-"

"Is it sinking in? How easily you are manipulated?" Zodiac snickered in amusement.

 _"She didn't just show up out of the blue today, she's been watching this place."_ He realized, fear slithering up his spine, and coiling around his heart, _"She knew I would be at the bridge, she left breadcrumbs to peak interest from Gryphon, and she wanted us to find her on the bridge! That's why she caused that accident! And with the pros gone, her thugs leaving behind clues for them to investigate..."_

"You planned everything out perfectly, I can see why everyone is out to get you." Kaiji answered nervously despite his efforts to remain strong, "I've fought villains before, but I don't think anything of them were-"

"Save your breath," She interrupted with a twisted smirk, "You can't save yourself with flattery... You are both going to die, then be strung up for Darius and Vector to find on their return... Oh how marvelously broken it will leave them!" She hugged her sides, swaying a bit as she imagined the terrible thought, "Beautiful~"

 _"This is a small district, they may only be ten or twenty minutes away, if we can just-"_ Kaiji shot a sideways glance to Zenyatta who looked absolutely shaken with indecision and fear, "Go! Get a call out to DK or Vector! I'll hold her-"

But the moment his eyes left Zodiac, she made her move. Reaching him in an instant after springing off powerful legs imbued with the aspect of the rabbit. Spinning quickly, she slammed his chest with her foot, carrying the kicking power of the horse and sending Kaiji flying, "Foolish boy, neither of you are going to escape me..."

"Adachi!" Zenyatta screamed as he crashed through a table, before stumbling back as Zodiac turned on her.

"Your turn cowgirl!" She laughed wickedly, dashing towards her as her power channeled the aspect of the Ram. Slamming into Zenyatta with her head, the force carried with the blow sent her tumbling back across the ground with the wind knocked out of her.

When she stopped, she felt it harder to breathe, a terrible pain coming from her ribs, "M-My ribs..." She muttered, trembling in fear and pain.

"Hmph, you kids... Hardly even worth the effort." She spat, turning and heading for Kaiji and the table wreckage just as the boy was getting up and shaking off his daze.

"Ugh..." He groaned, rubbing his head and chest, "Damn that smarts..." He grumbled, turning attention to her and getting ready for a fight, _"I haven't had a real fight in this form yet, I guess its time I put it to the test!"_ Kaiji decided, charging her and hoping Zenyatta could get up and get the call out.

"You think you can take me boy!?" She demanded with a wicked grin, meeting him head on. The two locked hands, trying to overpower the other with sheer force, Kaiji was struggling to force her back as she amplified her power with one of the animal aspects, her symbols glowing wildly, "You don't even hold a candle to me lizard boy!" She threw her knee upward suddenly, striking him right in the jaw and making Kaiji stumble back before she spun around and delivered another horse powered kick making him gasp for breath while sliding back on his heels.

 _"She's strong! Rapidly enhancing her body with those aspects!"_ He realized, raising his arms to block an incoming blow. The force shaking him to the core and threatening to break his arms before he lashed out with his tail forcing her to jump back to dodge it, _"Agile, strong, smart, this woman is a monster!"_ She rushed him with reckless abandon, forcing Kaiji on to stay on the defensive, struggling to keep up as he blocked and dodged her powerful strikes, _"If I hadn't changed, become more powerful... I'd already be dead! And I'm still only barely keeping up with her! I-I have to think of something fast, or else I'll be-"_

The boy was cut off, as she shattered his guard with a blow to the stomach. Before suddenly grabbing him by the neck and lifting him right off his feet, "Well kid it's been fun!" She snickered, eyes wide and wild like a predator catching its meal, her breathing heavy, her grip shaky, "But its time to end this little game!"

Adachi grit his teeth, grabbing her wrist as he rapidly thought of something, anything to buy more time! _"I could try transforming, but that might take too much time, and I can't risk bursting it... D-Dammit come on think of something!"_ He was starting to panic, fear hitting him the same it had when he lost both his arms to Shigaraki at the USJ. He was running out of air, if he didn't do something fast...

"Come on kid, don't pass out on me yet," Zodiac said with manic amusement, "I want you to feel it, when I tear you apart~!"

"K-Kaiji!" Tsunotori tried to make a move towards them, but doubled over, gripping her ribs.

 _"I-Is this really how I go out? At the hands of some maniac? I just got so strong... I just decided who I want to be,"_ He thought as he edged towards consciousness, his memories flashing before his eyes, _"A-And me and Ashido... We finally-"_ It was then that his eyes rested on his scaly hands, and her own shaking arm. And suddenly, it hit him like a brick wall. "I-I... I will not go YET!" He roared, swinging his tail around hard and striking her in the ribs, finally a direct blow.

"Gah!" She gasped as the tail struck, making her drop him and stumble back, "You little... I'll rip that tail off!"

Kaiji stood up right, coughing and rubbing his throat as he glared at her, "Zodiac... You're shaking!" He said sharply, his reptilian eyes narrowing to slits as he remembered something Midoriya had said during the Festival, during his battle with Todoroki.

 _"Its easy to forget that Quirks are physical abilities."_

He stood tall, glaring at her as he got his thoughts in order, _"It doesn't matter how different her Quirk is, she transforms and no matter what your power that consumes stamina, that's why she's only taking on aspects, and not fully changing into the animals!"_

"You just got out of prison," Adachi continued, clenching his fists tightly, "You've been put away for a long time... Your body has grown weak, the same thing happened to my mother, using her Quirk put a bigger strain on her body than it usually would have... Zodiac, you've been avoiding Darius, trying to undermine the hero with these twisted games because you know you aren't ready!" He declared, as Pony rose to her feet across the room, "You take on these aspects, and change forms... But you're not at your best are you?" Kaiji questioned sharply, the anger in Zodiac's eyes burning brighter with every word, "Like me, and my transformation, using that power puts strain on your muscles, and burns stamina... You may have been a master of your transformations once upon a time, but right now there is a limit to what your body can take! RIGHT!?"

Zodiac clenched her fist tight enough to draw blood from her palms, "Fine... You want to test my limit? Than I'll just KILL YOU RIGHT NOW!" She roared as she charged, transforming into a Ram mid charge. The beast armed with a thick golden hide, and long curved horns, **"But you've got your limits as well! I watched your training, I know you can't fight at your maximum potential in this form!"** She snarled, as Kaiji jumped over her charge, springing off his tail. But just as he landed, she turned into in a rat. Using her lightweight form to redirect herself and skitter across the ground towards him.

As she neared him, and the boy tried to back step out of her reach, she suddenly transformed into a mighty tiger. Leaping at him and sinking her fangs into his arm as he brought it up to defend his face, "Gaaah!" Kaiji cried in pain, his scales stopping the jagged fangs from breaking skin but the force of the bite was threatening to crush his bones.

 **"You think you can defeat me with only fifty percent of your power!? Even at Sixty Percent you don't stand a chance!"** She growled against his arm, applying more pressure, **"The harsh truth, is that my limit is far higher than YOURS!"**

Just as Kaiji thought his arm was going to break, they were interrupted by the sound of hooves charging across the concrete floor. Both hero and villain turned their heads to see the charging form of Tsunotori, on all fours rushing them as her horns began to glow, "HOOOORN CANNON!" She roared, slamming into the golden Tigers side, unleashing a powerful explosion as Zodiac cried out in pain and was sent flying off of Kaiji. She turned into a human mid flight, landing on her feet and gripping her bleeding side, wincing in pain.

"Y-You little bitch!" Zodiac hissed in pain, "What the hell was that!?

Pony Tsunotori! Quirk: Horn Cannon! Her body generates energy as she runs that is channeled into her horns, she can release this power for a devastating explosion! Her equine body also provides her with incredible strength and stamina! "Adachi, are you alright?" She asked, looking down at him and offering a hand to help him up.

Kaiji accepted it gratefully, allowing her to pull him up as he nursed his injured arm, "I-I think my arm's broken... Or the bone might just be splintered," He stated, keeping his eyes on Zodiac, "Thanks for the help... Glad to see you finally put that hero face on, how are those ribs?"

"Might have a few broken, or cracked." She answered, "But don't worry, I'll be fine!"

"You two... You BRATS!" She snarled, the symbols on her body beginning to glow as she focused her power, "I'll kill you... And bring down this whole building! YOU DIE NOW!" She lunged forward, opening her mouth and unleashing a torrent of white and gold fire, both students jumped out of the way and the fire igniting against some of the training equipment.

"Everyone!" The voice of Amalia sounded over the speakers, "I-I managed to get free! I've called the others, they're coming back! Just hang on!"

"That old hag, should have just killed her first..." Zodiac grit her teeth, shaking it off and rushing towards them, "I still have time! I WON'T LEAVE HERE WITHOUT YOUR HEADS!"

"C-Come on lets go!" Tsunotori stepped back, "We just need to stay away from her until-"

"She won't just let us run," Kaiji interrupted, his scales starting to glow faintly as his breathing hastened, "Stay back! Get ready to help again if I need it..."

"Y-You're going to try taking her alone!? B-But you're not strong enough..." Tsunotori muttered worriedly, timid as ever and still afraid, sparking Kaiji's temper.

"Tch, you... Zodiac, and even Darius," He clenched his fists tightly, "You all seem to forget just what we're taught at UA!" Kaiji charged her, his scales pulsing with green light as he began moving faster than before, as Zodiac began to change form, charging him as she turned into a large golden boar with red ruby tusks. "Talking about limits... I may have said my limit was Fifty percent of my power, but that doesn't mean that's the extent of my strength!"

 **"I'LL GUT YOU!** Zodiac roared, pushing herself and aiming her tusks at his stomach in her attempt to gore him wide open. But suddenly, Adachi moved with a burst of speed from his legs, redirecting his momentum with his tail to sidestep her. Before pulling his fist back, and planting a hard punch on the golden boars jaw, sending her tumbling away, **"Gah! S-So fast!?"** Zodiac narrowed her eyes at him, turning human quickly and opening her mouth, unleashing another burst of white and gold flames! Kaiji rolled out of the way, and the fire splashed against the walls, quickly starting to spread, _"Grah! I can't change into the Dragon now, my body won't hold up..."_

"Your from UA, just like me Tsunotori!" Kaiji shouted, jumping back and wincing in pain as Zodiac lunged at him again, Turning tiger mid jump and slashing open the front of his hero costume nearly breaking skin. "I know you've heard these words before... But its time you learn what they really mean!" He added, as Zodiac followed through with her attacks, trying to slash and bite at him. But Adachi's muscles were super charged with his bestial power, focusing the energy from his final form to enhance his movements. When she finally made another leap at him, he spun around and broadsided the beast with his super charged tail, _"D-Dammit that hurt!"_ He winced, feeling some of his bones in his tail splintered from the super charged strike, body not handling the overdraw of power well.

But Tsunotori's fears began ebbing away, replaced with a spark of hope as her eyes began to light up.

Zodiac reverted to human form, holding her bleeding side as she glared at him, "You... Congratulations boy... You just made my hit list!" She roared, charging him as she changed mid blitz into the raging, powerful Ox form, intent on trampling him with brute strength.

Kaiji attempted to jump back, but the muscles in his legs were already tearing from that earlier speed boost, preventing his flight. And so he dug in his heels and met her head on. Grabbing Zodiac by the horns, holding her back with his own incredible strength, "Like All Might says! GO BEYOND!" He shouted, digging in for leverage as he started turning, drawing out all the strength he could, going beyond what his new body could handle as he managed to pull Zodiac right off the ground, "PLUS! UUUULTRAAAAA!"

With one mighty throw, he sent her flying and smashing through much of the training equipment as well as one of the buildings supports. The burning roof overhead starting to crumble, fires spreading fast and making it hard to see the villain. But in the aftermath of Kaiji's attack, only silence came from beyond the flames as dust and debris settled.

"Th-There... It's-" His words hitched as he tried to move, pain shooting through his body as the power faded away. He started tilting back, losing his footing and beginning to fall before he was caught.

"H-Hang on!" Tsunotori pleaded, lifting him up bridal style and carrying him towards the exit. The fires had spread far, even if they wanted to chase after and capture Zodiac, it was too dangerous with the building becoming so unstable.

"Th-Thanks Zenyatta..." He panted, his body feeling heavy and sluggish as she carried him out, "Ugh... Y-You know... That whole, go beyond thing, is cool and all... But it hurts, like a lot."


	26. A Hero Just Like Him

**I AM A HUGE IDIOT!**

 **I got up this morning to get ready to post the newest chapter, and I realized that I never posted this one last sunday! Uuugh guys I'm so sorry lmao XD No wonder I wasn't getting any reactions to everything that happens in this chapter... Ugh, a thousand pardons for my idiocy T~T**

 **VictorsMyName: Glad you like her! I have a lot planned involving her, so hopefully she can live up to the hype X3**

 **Now then, with this chapter we'll see some branching stories begin to emerge, but they'll all collide eventually~**

* * *

Far away from the burning Agency, up the shoreline and under an old dilapidated dock, the injured form of Zodiac crawled her way out of the water panting for breath. Her body was covered in burns, and her own blood as it seeped from a wound in her side. She forced herself up onto her hands and knees as she crawled, eyes bloodshot with rage.

"That boy... H-He shouldn't have been so strong," She growled, pulling herself fully from the water, "If I was back to full strength... H-He wouldn't have stood a chance!" She slammed her fist into the dirt, knuckles white with rage, "I'll... I'll get my revenge, I'll kill him... I'll-"

"Having a rough day, Kasumi?"

Her eyes darted up to the writhing purple mass of the warp hole villain, wearing his bartender attire and neck armor. "Kurogiri..." She muttered, forgetting her anger for a brief moment before she smirked and let out a dry, pained laugh, "So what... Come to pick the scraps of my defeat? Finish me off for betraying you?"

"You think so little of me," He replied with a bit of amusement, stepping closer to her and kneeling down, "You know I am not so petty... I have come to recruit you, into the League of Villains..."

Kasumi lifted her eyes to him once again, an eyebrow raised, "Why? Look at me Kurogiri... I am in no shape to help you and your Master, and I will not leave here until my work is finished..."

"That's where I come in~!" The lighter voice of Angel sounded, as she hovered over the ground behind her.

If Zodiac hadn't been so injured, she would have jumped in surprise, "Angel... Heh, so your Master has gone on an all out recruiting spree since the prison break huh? Well, you've certainly peaked my curiosity..."

"She will heal you, and my Master can restore your former Strength," Kurogiri promised, offering her a hand, "And in return, we will ruin Darius Krowe..."

Kasumi looked a this hand, hesitating a moment before finally, she nodded, "Fine... I have a debt to repay you anyways."

 **. . .**

In the hours following the attack on the AMA, Adachi and Tsunotori were rushed to the hospital while the fire trucks tried to stop the burning building, and the pros took off in search of Zodiac. The turned over the city in their search, not stopping until the sun had fallen past the horizon, but she was nowhere to be found. She had always been slippery, according to the news, but it seemed like she'd just vanished into thin air. Not even any of her captured thugs knew where she'd gone.

As night fell however, the pros finally turned attention away from the criminal, and to their sidekicks...

"Adachi!" The door was kicked open, nearly coming off the hinges as Darius charged in, eyes darting between the nurse, and both patients, "Good, you're awake." He sighed in relief, marching towards him, "How are your injuries? Anything broken?"

Kaiji chuckled nervously, "I'm alright, nothing major... I tore more muscles overusing my power, my left arms bone was cracked but not broken, I did break a few bones in my tail though... I'll probably be fine by tomorrow night or the day after with just my own regeneration."

"And what about you Pony?" Vector asked, his helmet had been removed leaving him in just the armor. He was young, younger that Darius by a few years at least, with a shaved head and sharp features, as well as a few scars under his right eye.

"A few cracked ribs," She admitted with a sigh, "I'll be laid up here for a few days as well... Sorry sir."

"Nonsense," He waved her off, offering a smile, "You did good, I saw how you acted."

"Y-You saw?" Kaiji blinked in confusion.

"What?" Darius shrugged, "Did you honestly think I didn't have a camera system in that place?" He asked with a grin, "Mother recovered the files before the fire burned the entire place down, that old badger certainly knows her way around a computer!" His booming laugh filling the room.

"I... I didn't do much," Tsunotori frowned, looking away from her teacher, "I was trembling, I could barely move... I didn't think about attacking her, I had no plan I just-"

"Your body moved faster than you could think." Vector interrupted with a proud smirk, placing a hand on her head right between her horns, "You acted like a true Hero, so rest up, and enjoy the break."

Pony looked up at him in shock as he pulled the hand away, sniffling and nodding her head with a quivering smile, "Y-Yes sir!"

"Speaking of that video, Adachi," Darius crossed his arms, "You pushed your body beyond the limit," He stated in a serious tone, "You can't keep doing that, this new body of yours is a conduit evolved to channel your power... If you exert too much you could suffer serious damage."

"A little late for that," Kaiji sighed apathetically, laying back on the bed, "Sorry sir, it's just... Well, this certainly isn't the first time I've used too much power and hurt myself," He shrugged, "I guess, we all survived, and I'll be okay so... I'm not sorry for hurting myself."

Darius blinked in surprise not at all expecting that kind of response. He looked to Vector, who simply shrugged, "You are a good kid Kaiji," He finally replied with a small sigh, scratching the back of his head, "You have a strong sense of justice and helping others... But remember to take care of yourself, alright?" He smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I doubt your friends and family want to be saved if it means you die... I know I wouldn't."

Kaiji blushed bashfully, "Th-Thank you sir... I don't plan on dying anytime soon though, Mr. Aizawa would probably choke me out with his scarf if I missed so much class..." He joked.

"I'm sure he would," Darius chuckled at that, "However, you are staying here for the rest of your internship, you've got only a few days left, and your body could use the rest."

Adachi sighed, nodding his head, "Yes sir... I'll be patient... By the way, did anyone find my phone? I was gonna try calling my friends."

"Oh yeah," Vector, reached into his pocket, fishing out a terribly charred, busted device, "I found this in your room... Buuut I don't think you'll be calling anyone with it any time soon."

Kaiji blinked, looking at the device and groaning, "Ugh... Dad is gonna kill me... I hope my friends are having less stressful internships."

Little did Kaiji know, somewhere far away, his friends were fighting their own battles...

 **. . .**

"Gonna need some help here!"

"Hang on! I've got my hands full! PINKY MELT THOSE PIPES I NEED MORE WATER!"

"Yes Sir!"

"We need to breach this flame wall or we aren't getting anywhere!"

Back up north, chaos ensued as various heroes and a few of their interns were attempting to bring down an insane villain spreading fires. The entire city block was in flames, at the center of it the man was roaring in a terrible torrent of pain and rage, his body surrounded by blue flames. It was here that Ashido was getting a terrible look at some real world experience against villains.

"Hyagh!" She cried, flinging globs of acid that melted through exposed pipes nearby, unleashing a torrent of water that was quickly pulled by Backdraft to fuel his firefighting efforts.

"Earphone Jack try blasting through that fire wall!" Deatharms commanded, trying to find some way through to the villain at the center of this chaos.

"On it!" Jiro replied, running up to the front and slipping one of her jacks into the devices on her costume. Unleashing the sonic blast towards the wall of fire as Backdraft started dousing it, weakening the flames. The wave of sonic force blasted clean through, creating a wide opening.

"Let's Go!" Deatharms shouted, charging through the breach in the flames, "Fan out and search for anymore civilians trapped inside! I'll deal with the maniac that started this!"

"I've got my hands full here, go with them Pinky!" Backdraft ordered, Ashido nodding and rushing in through the opening alongside Jiro.

Deatharms raced off towards the center of the chaos while the two of them started searching for any sign of more trapped civilians. Rushing down the nearest street between the burning buildings, "Hell of a night eh Ashido?" Jiro asked, coming to a stop as the checked a car to make sure no one was stuck inside.

"You're telling me," She answered worriedly, "This is crazy! This maniac could light up half the city if left unchecked! Its like Bakugo on steroids..." She added, before stopping by a burning house, hearing something inside, "Jiro! Over here!" She called out frantically, "I think I hear someone inside!"

"Can you melt through the door? Maybe smother some of the flames with your acid?" She suggested while rushing over.

"Yeah give me a moment..." She replied with a nod, acid dripping from her hands as she carefully melted through the door hinges. She needed to be cautious, if she went about throwing acid around she might just bring the entire building down!

"If you're in there hang on!" Jiro called out over the roaring flames, "We're getting the door open now!"

"There!" Ashido yanked hard as she finished melting away the edges, pulling off the door with her enhanced strength, "The door's open! Hurry!"

A single figure stumbled out of the smoke, coughing and gasping for breath as she breathed in the clear air falling to her knees. Jiro quickly moved to aid her, "You're gonna be alright! Just hang on, we'll get you to an ambulance!"

"N-No! Wait!" She turned her head, looking back towards the fire, "M-My husband is still in there!"

Ashido gasped, looking at Jiro worriedly, "We have to help... EarJack, Jiro, whatever, come on!"

"Ashido Wait!" She tried to stop her, as the pink hero charged into the burning building, "Dammit Pinky... We'll find him," She assured the fearful woman, "If you can walk, head up the street, more heroes and the fire department are trying to work on putting out these fires they'll help you." Jiro added, before charging in after Ashido.

It was hot inside, fires raging up the walls but most of the flames seemed to be on the floor above. Which meant they had some time before the buildings entire support gave out and came down on top of them. But it was hard to see, smoke clouding her eyes and making it hard to breathe. Jiro knew if they stayed in here too long they might end up needing to be saved as well!

"Jiro! In here!" Ashido called from the kitchen.

As the earphone hero dashed through the doorway, she gasped at the sight. Part of the ceiling had collapsed, a man was trapped beneath a few burning pieces of ceiling resting on top of a toppled fridge! "Hurry! This man needs help!" Mina called, kneeling by his side. The dark haired man looked barely conscious, the lack of oxygen from the smoke and heat was sapping what life he had left in him.

"Ashido... There's no way we can lift that!" She exclaimed, _"Dammit! If only Deatharms was here! He could move that debris no sweat!"_

"We just need to move the fridge," Ashido answered her quickly, "Use your Quirk, blow away that debris on top and I'll lift it up!"

"That could destabilize the building!" Jiro argued.

"If we don't do something this man DIES!" Ashido shouted back at her, eyes burning like the flames around them, _"I have to do better, I have to become a real hero! I have to catch up to Kaiji... And Kirishima."_

"Grr... F-Fine! I hope you know what you're doing Pinky," She connected her jacks to the base of her boots, activating them to unleash a powerful sonic blast from her heartbeats. She only used a short burst, enough to blow away the fallen ceiling pieces atop the fridge, "Now! HURRY!"

Mina nodded, grabbing a hold of the fridge before hissing in pain. The metal was hot, burning her hands badly, "Dammit... COME ON!" She growled, grabbing a tighter hold even as it burned her skin, _"I'll be strong! I won't be afraid! I am going to be like him, I'll be a HERO!"_ She used all her might, the fridge lifting at her demand, "HRAAAGH!" She roared, hoisting it high above, "GET HIM NOW JIRO!"

"Right!" She pulled the man out quickly, pulling his arm over her shoulders, "Come on lets get out of here!"

"R-Right!" Ashido winced in pain, trying to push the fridge away when suddenly the weakened floor beneath her cracked. A few boards snapping beneath her left foot, making it fall through the get stuck, "Gah!" She gasped, nearly dropping the fridge on top of herself.

"Ashido!" Jiro exclaimed fearfully.

"GET HIM OUT OF HERE!" She screamed back at her, struggling to hold the fridge, "I-I'll find a way out! Just go! Save him!"

Jiro hesitated, seeing the tears welling up in her eyes, knowing that Mina knew exactly what she was doing, "Ashido... I-I'll bring help! Just hang on! AND DON'T YOU DARE DIE!" She ordered, fearing her own tears might spill over, as she turned and ran from the building with the injured man.

As she vanished, Ashido cringed, muscles weakening every second, _"I have to think of something... I-I don't want to die here!"_ She clenched her teeth, feeling her arms start to give away as more burning debris fell around her, further entombing the would be hero.

"I... I won't die here..." She couldn't see it, but her body was beginning to secrete acid around her from below. But it was quickly hardening around her legs, working its way up slowly, "I _can't_ die here!"

A loud creaking sounded, the building tilting on all that remained of its supports. The ceiling was caving in, and she would be trapped. The pink hero was surrounded in flames, some spreading to her body and lashing away at her. But Ashido's tears had stopped, and her strange yellow eyes glowed faintly, as did her horns.

 _"I... I am going to become a HERO!"_

Outside, Jiro could only watch as the building came down atop her classmate...


	27. Separate Threads

**VictorsMyName: Oooh she survived alright... But she won't be walking away from this event the same X3**

 **IVReal: I know I'm terrible with those right? XD I still feel like such an idiot for not posting that chapter last Sunday lmao**

 **100PercentBadass: AND SO YOU SHALL RECEIVE!**

* * *

"Looks like your number is up, Crow." A woman dressed like a cat in her leather suit, outfitted with numerous gadgets, said as she approached the downed hero. They were deep within an abandon warehouse. There was hardly any light, as darkness had already descended outside.

"Hngh! Y-You can't kill me Black Cat..." He winced, pulling himself up and gripping his bleeding right side. He wore a black cloak that was currently in tatters, his black leather body armor broken in various places or ripped open. Even his faux beak mask was cracked apart, "Who else would you spend your evenings with?"

"Cute," She smirked, raising her claws as she put her boot on his chest, "Buuut... I think I'll find more friends to play with... Once you're GONE!"

"Oof!" Black Cat jumped back, eyes darting to the body of one of her guards as he hit the floor. Looking like he'd been badly beaten, and thrown in through the doorway, "I-I'm sorry M-Mistress... B-But h-he's... So... Strong!"

 _"It can't be..."_ She thought fearfully, turning to fully face the door, _"That boy who was with Crow!? My guards should have torn him apart!"_

"My apologies Crow," Came the well articulated voice of Tokoyami, "Took me a bit longer than it should have to finish these thugs... But they're all restrained, and unconscious..."

Black Cat grit her teeth, "Who the HELL are you!?" She demanded, eyes darting to her left as a short, dry laugh escaped her nemesis.

"Th-That... Is my intern." Crow answered her smugly.

"B-But he's just a child!" She snarled in anger, her claws at the ready as she charged towards him.

"The police are on their way," Tokoyami casually continued, stepping forward as Darkness began to envelop his form. Dark Shadow was engulfing his body entirely, surrounding him in the twisted darkness, "And by the way, I am no child." He scoffed, two shadow limbs reaching out and catching both of her arms before she could strike him. While Tokoyami's glowing yellow eyes burned into her own.

As she looked into his burning eyes, she felt a terrible fear gripping her, "What are you!? Y-You're a MONSTER!"

She suddenly doubled over, as Tokoyami's shadow cloaked fist struck her hard in the stomach, "Monster? No... I am the Jet Black Hero! Tsukuyomi!" As Black Cat collapsed from the bone breaking strike, Tokoyami turned attention to Crow, "... Are you alright Sir?"

"Ngh! I-I will be..." He panted, giving up on moving as he watched Tokoyami split from Dark Shadow, "Thank you for saving my life ki- No, Thank you, Tsukuyomi... And you too, Dark Shadow."

"Our pleasure."

 **. . .**

"I don't know what happened," Deatharms sighed heavily as he returned to the other heroes, "I was about to engage him, and suddenly he vanished... Disappearing behind a wall of flames, when it went away, he was gone."

"The fires started dying off quickly as well," Kamui Woods replied, "So I moved in with my team to assist in rescue."

"Deatharms!" The voice of Jiro caught his attention, she sounded frantic, "Everyone! Please come quick! Ashido's been trapped under a building!"

"Who?" Deatharms blinked confused.

"Does it matter?" Woods scoffed, "Come on Maria!"

"Yes right away sir." The vine haired girl, Ibara Shiozaki nodded and followed diligently.

Jiro lead the way, sprinting as fast as she could to the building as the flames died down over the wreckage. Fading after the villains departure, as well as with the help of Backdraft coating everything in water, "I found the others!" Jiro called out to him, "Any sign of Ashido?"

"None yet," He answered grimly, "Kamui, Deatharms, get in there and start clearing those debris! She was last seen in the kitchen, hurry!"

"Right, Maria with me!" Kamui ordered, rushing in with her right behind him as they began moving debris with their wooden tendrils and vines.

Deatharms helped as well, tearing through the larger pieces of fallen building to clear a path to the buried kitchen. And as it went on, Jiro was stuck outside waiting, her Quirk couldn't help anyone here, and she feared for what might have happened to her classmate thanks to her own powers.

 _"She told me to do it... B-But we shouldn't have been so hasty, if we'd waited just a few more minutes maybe we would have had help..."_ She tried to reason, nervously fidgeting. Bracing herself to hear that all they could find was a charred corpse, "She's going to be okay... Sh-She has to be okay!"

"Over here! I think I see something!" Shiozaki called out.

Jiro's eyes widened, instantly charging in, "Where?!"

"There, beneath the fridge!" Kamui added, spotting what she was pointing to.

Jiro came to a stop, seeing the strange looking object beneath the debris as the pros began to clear it, "Wh-What the hell is that!?"

 **. . .**

"So, this is headquarters eh?" Kasumi questioned, cocking an eyebrow as she was lead deep into the massive building. She was still injured, her wounds merely patched up, likely to keep her from trying anything.

Kurogiri had left her here some time ago and taken off, likely picking up more members of interest like herself. But Kasumi still wasn't entirely sure what this was about, or who she was going to meet. However, she could sense a terrible, foreboding presence, the deeper she traveled into the building. Like walking deeper into some hellish abyss, the air was growing thick with pressure as they neared the massive, heavily guarded doors within.

"Go on." The guard beside her grunted, urging her forward as the door opened.

She nodded silently, stepping through into the room filled with monitors. On every screen different news reports streamed in, many revolving around the capture of the Hero Killer, and the connection between him and the League of Villains. Sitting before these screens was a man in a chair, though he did not turn to face her, something she was thankful for...

"Kasumi Naoto..." His voice was rough, and aged. But when the words left his mouth, the hairs on the back of her neck stood straight up, "You are of interest to our cause... And I can give you what you desire most."

 _"I seriously doubt that..."_ She thought grimly, before clearing her throat, "Is that so? I have a strange feeling I don't have much choice at this point..."

"I know you aren't one who'd talk, Kurogiri has vouched for you... And I trust his word." The man replied calmly, "I will give you the tools to break Darius Krowe, and you will join me."

Kasumi narrowed her eyes slightly, looking around the highly advanced room, noting all the different monitors and the medical equipment beside the man. Whoever he was, he was very old, sick, and yet she could sense something incomprehensibly powerful within him, "Deal... So how do we kill him?"

"Kill him?" He repeated with an amused chuckle, "Silly child, if you want to ruin the man, you must destroy everything he stands for... And I know just how to do that."

"So you already have a plan..."

"Of course, I've anticipated your escape and arrival here for some time." He answered simply, "Now, let's get down to business..." With a snap of his fingers, another door opened and dark figures stepped through obediently, "With these two by your side, Darius is finished if you follow my plan..."

 **. . .**

"Hmm... You took me away from my fire."

"For a good reason, of course..."

"You're one of those League of Villain guys, I saw you on the news..."

"I come bearing an offer, join us and-"

"Save the speech, I'm in."

"No questions asked?"

The blood covered man smirked wickedly, his body already regenerating his terrible charred flesh, "Of course, you think I started that fire for fun?"

"Well... Yes." Kurogiri answered honestly.

The man chuckled, "Well, okay yeah... But! I was also looking for you guys, I want to help fix this twisted world, just like the Hero Killer..."

"..." Kurogiri was thankful the man couldn't see his amused smirk, "You will fit in perfectly with the League..."

 **. . .**

Ashido felt like she was floating, but at the same time, she couldn't move. She tried opening her eyes, but saw only darkness. Her body was sore, her entire right side felt numb, her back itched terribly, and her head was throbbing. She felt sick, her stomach churning, mind foggy as she tried to piece together what happened, where she was, and how she ended up here...

 _"Everything was... Burning?"_ She wondered, beginning to remember, _"I was burning... I... I saved someone... But how did I end up here?"_ She was more confused than ever, having trouble thinking as she felt her mind drifting off, _"Am I... Dead?"_

As she drifted, her thoughts and memories slowly came back to her. Remembering what had happened, the fire and the man. The burning building, the burning feeling in her hands and the drive she had.

 _"Was that really me?"_ She asked herself, unsure of her actions, _"Was this really what I wanted? Was I trying to prove myself? But who would I want t-"_

 _"When did you get so strong?_ _And now, you've gotten so far ahead of me..."_

Her own words echoed in her mind, interrupting her, and making her question her own actions further, _"Dammit Ashido..."_ She mentally kicked herself, _"Getting all worked up... Trying to impress someone a hundred miles away right now... If he could see me now, what would he think?"_ She mentally scoffed, before, even in her paralyzed state, she managed a smile, _"He'd probably rush in to save me... Dammit Adachi."_

Her mind was slipping back into darkness, she could feel her consciousness fading.

 _"I'm alive... But... I think I need to rest..."_

 **. . .**

"Come on, this is no time for games Pinky!" Jiro barked, hands on the outside of the strange pink and white cocoon they had found, "Get out of there Ashido! Right NOW!"

"Earphone Jack, relax," Deatharms grunted, placing a hand on her shoulder, "The docs will take this thing to the hospital, if your friend is in there they'll get her out." He assured, "In the mean time, we've gotta sweep for more survivors."

Earphone Jack looked up at him, sighing heavily and pulling her hands away, "Alright... Fine, just, make sure they're careful."

"They will be." He chuckled, removing his hand as they cleared the way allowing the paramedics to get in, "Just keep your head on straight kid, you did good tonight, I'm sure your friend will be okay."

"I sure hope so," She muttered, eyes down as she followed him, "Or else a certain giant angry lizard is probably going to kill me..."


	28. Storm Clouds

**VictorsMyName: Maybe, but there may be one more that you're forgetting X3**

 **Also! I'll be posting daily until this arc is finished, after that I'll be going on break until the next arc is done because I don't want to take any stops posting that one since it is going to likely be the last arc until more of the show comes out. So strap in everyone, things from here are getting intense!**

* * *

Kaiji pulled back the curtain around his bed after he finished getting dressed. Quickly looking himself over, "How does it look?" He asked casually.

"You look fine." Tsunotori smiled and nodded from her own hospital bed.

"Thanks, wasn't so sure when DK showed up with these clothes," Kaiji replied with a nervous chuckle, "Darius is a great Hero and Teacher buuut... He's a little eccentric."

"You don't say?"

It was early Friday morning, the final day of the internships, and Darius swung by to drop off some clothes since all of Kaiji's were lost in the fire. They'd be heading home later, both of them hopefully fully recovered by then. Kaiji himself was feeling fine, but knew he should take it easy just to be safe. While Tsunotori would need a few more days to be fully recovered, hopefully alright by Monday, when they would return to school.

"I hate to abandon you, but I'm gonna take a walk and stretch my legs." He said finally, rolling his shoulders a bit. After being cooped up here for so long he was going a bit stir crazy.

"No problem, you might miss breakfast... But the Hospital food sucks anyways." She joked with a light laugh.

"Ugh, I'll bring you back something better." He offered with a laugh, heading out the door.

Kaiji made his way down the hall to the elevator, stepping inside after hitting the button and beginning his descent as he thought over the last week here. Sure, things had gotten kinda scary, but over all he was happy with how things had turned out. With his new power, he'd be able to do even better at school. Without needing to transform to increase his physical prowess, he could excel. At this point, he might even be among the top in the class!

He returned to reality as the elevator doors opened, stepping out and into the lobby. Adachi turned towards the call area, considering trying to get in touch with his father, or his friends. But he figured his Father was busy, and his friends were likely working at their internships still. So instead, he headed out the door, making his way down the sidewalk to give his legs a nice workout.

Taking a deep breath, Kaiji sighed contently as he soaked in the morning light, "Today is gonna be a good day!" He grinned, before noticing some fast approaching clouds, "Hmm? Looks like it might rain though..."

 **. . .**

Taking a deep breath, Kasumi sighed excitedly as she soaked in the morning light, "Today is gonna be a GREAT day!" She beamed, before noticing some fast approaching clouds, "Mmm~ Looks like it will rain too!"

"You remember the plan right?" Kurogiri questioned, the warp villains portal open atop a tall building, "No matter what happens, you will be back here for pick up in two hours... If not, I cannot help you."

She turned to him, smirking as her two companions stepped out of the portal as well, "Of course, I'll do my job, and if your- our, Masters plan works as well as he thinks, you'll have me in your little League."

"Then get to work... And Kasumi," Kurogiri added, his own warp gate halting for a moment, "Good luck."

Zodiac hesitated for a moment, before she laughed it off, "Bah! I don't need luck, I'm the F-ing Zodiac!"

 **. . .**

In the streets far below, a young boy was making his way towards the hospital. He wore a simple black school uniform, but with a hole in the back for his monkey tail to hang out. His face was a bit hairier than it should have been, but for the most part he looked no different than a normal red headed boy. He was excitedly on his way to see that promising young student his father had been gushing over recently, and with all the craze of the Agency getting burned down, he had plenty of time to stop by and say hello before school.

 _"I can't wait to meet him! Dad said I can be just like him when I go to UA!"_ He thought to himself, grinning from ear to ear as he rounded another corner.

Darius Krowe Jr. Top student at the local school, and son of the local star hero! He may have been young, but he was going to inherit his fathers title as the number one hero in Dokuga District some day!

As he neared the hospital, he stopped and checked the time, "Hmm... Yeah, I've got enough time to say hi before class." He nodded, continuing forward, _"Dad did say we'd stop by after school because he was busy this morning... But I just can't wait!"_

As he passed by the next alley, a long green tentacle reached out snagging the boy around the neck and face. Pulling him into darkness before anyone could see, or react to his disappearance.

Unfortunately, it seemed Fate, or at least Zodiac, had other plans for Junior...

 **. . .**

"Her disappearance just doesn't make any sense..." Darius grumbled, arms crossed as he looked over the evidence they had.

"We found her blood trail up the coast," Vector added, looking over the screens before them. They were at his Agency, since the AMA had been burned down, "But it ends cold right there... But these other footprints mean she did find someone."

"Something isn't right here," Darius muttered, putting a hand on his chin in thought, "To just vanish out of thin air..." He remembered something he read in the reports of the USJ incident, narrowing his eyes, "Someone is pulling strings here..."

Vector turned towards him, "You think it has something to do with that League of Villains?"

"After what happened in Hosu, finding out they're linked to the Hero Killer..." Darius nodded his head, "I think it's safe to say we can't rule them out..."

"If they did take her away... We might not see her for some time." Vector replied in thought.

"Yeah, maybe... But I've got a bad feeling." Darius grumbled, scratching the back of his neck, "Come on, lets swing by the Hospital and check on our interns before getting back to it." He sighed, shaking his head.

"I could certainly use the break..."

 **. . .**

Kaiji was sitting on a bench when it finally happened, the clouds overhead releasing a drizzle of rain upon the streets when suddenly an explosion shattered the usual sounds of city life. He was instantly on his feet, looking towards the rising pillars of smoke. A few other citizens nearby were looking towards it as well, others instantly going to their phones to call this in.

 _"Is Zodiac back already?"_ Kaiji wondered, narrowing his eyes before he ran across the street, through the nearest alley and began making his way towards the smoke.

It was only a street or two over, coming from one of the towns main intersections. Clearly, whoever was doing this wanted to put on a show. And as Kaiji neared scene, he could already see crowds of people on the edge of the street watching. And in the center of the chaos, standing atop a pile of ruined cars was that twisted woman, Zodiac, and she had a young boy with her...

"I-Is that-" Kaiji's eyes widened, spotting the two forms emerging from the smoke behind her caused by an exploding car. One of them was smaller, thin with green skin, a few writhing tentacles sticking out of his back. While the other, was massive and bulging with muscle, steel grey skin with an extra, smaller pair of arms beneath the first. Though, one thing they shared in common, was the exposed brain on their heads, _"Noumu..."_

"Come on Darius! I came all this way!" Zodiac cried out, holding up the tied boy by the back of his shirt, "Don't you want to save your boy? I would hate to kill a child..."

 _"Th-That's Darius' son!?"_ Kaiji's entire body stiffened, suddenly realizing what was going on here. She said she wanted him dead, and with a hostage that valuable to him... He would certainly give her what she wanted if it meant saving him.

"The pros will be here soon," Someone said nearby, speaking among the crowd, "And the police, we should get away from here while we can."

"B-But what about that kid?"

Kaiji's eyes fell on the boys face, he was gagged with a rag, but the fear in his eyes was clear. He'd been crying, and Kaiji couldn't blame him. He only looked a year or two younger than Kaiji himself, and the longer he looked the more resemblance he saw to that big goofy monkey. But his eyes weren't just filled with fear, not like that of a victim, he could see the worry inside of them. This boy understood more than most would give him credit for.

 _"He's terrified... Not just because of the situation he's in, but because he knows they're going to use him against his father... I-I have to do something!"_ Adachi's hands tightened into fists, both shaking, _"My muscles are freshly healed but... If I overdo it I'll tear them again, not to mention the broken tail bones... I barely survived last time, if I do this I could be-"_

"Fine! Maybe if my friends here pile up a few civilian corpses," His eyes darted back to Zodiac, "You'll pick up the pace!"

Kaiji could hear sirens in the distance, the police were on their way, but where was Darius? Or Vector? "Dammit... HEY!" Kaiji shouted, pushing forward through the crowd, stepping into the street as Zodiac's eyes fell on him.

"Well well well... If it isn't the boy wonder," She sneered looking down at him, "And here I was planning to hunt you down once this was over too... How nice of you to show up."

"Who is that?" Mutters began from the crowd.

"A new sidekick at the AMA I think."

"He was at the bridge with Gryphon a few days ago!"

"I thought he was still in the hospital..."

"So you've thrown your lot in with the League eh?" He demanded, silencing the crowd as he attempted to buy time. Zodiac seemed surprised by his response, "That's right, I've seen these freaks before, these... Noumu," Kaiji scoffed, "You certainly picked terrible allies, you must not have seen the news lately, but the League of Villains has been getting trashed left and right! The USJ, Tagua, and even the Hero Killer was brought down..."

Zodiac snickered lightly, soon bursting into full laughter as she looked upon him, "Ahahahaha~! Y-You foolish boy, you don't know anything, if you think those little mishaps are anything but bumps on our road to total domination! You're facing an evil you can't even comprehend! You should just give up being a hero now!"

Adachi took a deep breath, narrowing his eyes, "Not before I turn you into another speed bump, you crazy bitch." His eyes flashed with light, as his body began to change. Kaiji doubled over, clothes tearing as he grew in size and spikes began jutting from his back. Members of the crowd stepping back as his form continued growing until he reached ten feet tall, mouth jutting forward in a feral reptilian snout as he slammed his fists into the street, roaring out, **"GRAAAAAH!"**

 _"That was so fast!"_ Kaiji realized, that being the first time he'd changed to this stage since his evolution. _"And I hardly feel that usual strain! M-My body has adapted to the power more,"_ He focused his eyes on Zodiac, more ready to fight than ever, _"I can do this... I can beat her!"_

Zodiac watched with mild interest, "Another feral beast, just like Darius... Very well, Noumu, kill."

As Kaiji charged forward, the two mutant villains rushing to meet him, his eyes darted to the boy held captive, _"I will save you, just hang on!"_


	29. Unrelenting Force

**DrakeDragon297: If you're assuming the Noumu is his father, than no lol I already scrapped that idea!**

 **VictorsMyName: Oh come on, I'd hardly call that a cliff hangar lol And I have no idea what you're talking about with "Mines" X3**

* * *

 _"I will save you, just hang on!"_

The brute Noumu slammed into Kaiji with incredible force, instantly forcing him to strain his muscles fighting back. The boy was shocked by the strength this beast displayed, reminding him of the one from the USJ. And as the smaller, wild looking mutant landed on his flank, he felt a chill run down his spin, as its brain open grotesquely down the center, an eye appearing that glowed bright red.

Before he could react, or pull away from the Noumu in front of him, the tiny freak unleashed a blood red beam of light that burned into his ribs making Kaiji roar in pain. His scales prevented it from going deep, but the intense concentration of heat burned terribly. The pain giving his foe the upper hand, as he bent Kaiji's arms back, before the smaller hands on his chest reached out and placed their palms on his chest.

Without warning, he felt an incredible force be unleashed from the tiny hands that sent him flying. The great lizard smashed into a car, crushing the metal as he tried to pull himself free, _"These things... They're equipped with way heavier Quirks than the ones from the Prison... The League of Villains aren't messing around here, they don't want to take chances on her failing!"_ He realized, trying to shake off the burning pain in his ribs as the creatures prepared another attack.

The muscular Noumu lunged at him, but Kaiji spun around and slammed the freak with his powerful tail. However, the impact seemed to be completely absorbed by the monster as it struck his muscular shoulder. Kaiji growled lowly, turning back around and slamming the monster with his powerful scaled fist. But just like the tail attack, the impact was completely absorbed. The stone faced creature responded this time however, grabbing his arm and pulling Kaiji close before those smaller hands placed their palms on his chest, unleashing a brutal shock wave of pure force that would have sent him flying again if he wasn't being held.

 _"I-I have to get free! Before this thing tears my body apart!"_ He thought desperately, not understanding how it could generate such incredible force and still not budge on impact from his attacks. Thinking quickly, Adachi twisted his feet and grabbed the monsters arms, throwing him hard over his shoulder and slamming him into the ground with earth shattering force, kicking up dust and breaking the street. As well as forcing the Noumu to release him, allowing Kaiji to retreat.

"You seem a bit out of your league boy," Zodiac laughed as she watched, not fazed by the approaching sirens as Police cars came to a stop nearby and officers started taking to the streets moving Civilians back to set up a perimeter, "These Noumu were designed to kill heroes of a far greater caliber than you... But I will delight in seeing Darius' face when he arrives to find your battered corpse~"

The muscular Noumu picked itself up, turning to face Kaiji once more as the smaller one sat a top a lamp post nearby, _"These things... I need to figure out their quirks, its the only way I'll have any kind of a chance here!"_ Adachi was thinking as fast as he could, trying to put together answers when something suddenly hit him, _"Wait a minute..."_ Kaiji's glowing reptilian eyes narrowed sharply, he growled lowly as he prepared for another bout.

 **"GRAAAH!"** He roared, voice thundering through the streets as he charged. The Noumu met him head on, and Kaiji threw another punch. But he leaned it away from the face of the creature, making it easy to dodge. And just as he expected, the creature leaned into the attack taking it full force. There was no shock wave from the blow like in his previous battles. And as he'd thought, the smaller hands instantly reached out for him again at the same time as the Noumu tried to grab him.

Kaiji tried to avoid it, but was blasted by the incredible force once more. He dug in his heels however, sliding only a few feet before stopping. Adachi sprung of his feet, and charged once more. He threw a full force punch, striking the monster in the center of the chest. But the Noumu didn't budge, however Kaiji didn't give it a chance to counter. Instead using his tail to sweep out the monsters legs, before wrapping it around its filling form and slamming it hard into the pavement unleashing another burst of dust.

Adachi instantly brought up both hands, slamming them down hard on the mutants back to keep it on the ground. Repeatedly bringing his hands up and crashing them down. While Zodiac growled in annoyance as she watched, turning to the Noumu on over watch, "Well don't just sit there! ATTACK!"

Kaiji raised his head as she shouted, just in time to shield himself with his thicker back hide when the smaller Noumu unleashed that blood red beam of light. He hissed in pain, but the damage was lessened thanks to his crystals blocking most of it. Adachi turned back to face the beast, opening his maw and returning fire with his own burst of green fire breath.

But the smaller Noumu dodged just in time, leaping out of the way and dodging the blast of fire before firing another beam. This one caught Kaiji right in the chest, making him stumble back right into the crater he'd buried the first Noumu in. And just in time, as the mutant rose back to his feet, and grabbed Kaiji. The beasts eyes went wide, bracing himself as the monster put both smaller hands on him.

An incredible shock wave of raw power was unleashed. The force tore up most of the intersection, windows from the surroundings buildings shattered and even Zodiac had to shield herself along with the hostage to avoid injury. The bystanders and police were nearly blown away, forced into cover as the incredible burst of force was released.

At the center of the impact, Kaiji cringed in pain. He could feel his ribs were broken, no doubt, but he'd figured out this monsters method of fighting. He knew he couldn't stop these two, not alone... But Kaiji was sure he could at least give Darius a chance. The beast cringed in pain as he moved, opening his maw and unleashing another terrible roar to the skies, **"HRAAAAAAGH!"** And slammed his fist into the torn up ground.

With the earth so badly broken up here, the impact unleashed a blast of dust throughout the intersection. And as he was shrouded from unwanted view, Kaiji Adachi made his move.

Zodiac coughed roughly, trying to wave the dust from her eyes, "Ugh! Dammit kid, how am I supposed to enjoy watching you get murdered," She grumbled setting the tied up boy down beside her as she stood up on the car, "If you go and BLOCK MY VISION!" But just as it cleared enough for her to see better, her eyes widened in shock, as a smaller figure burst through the cloud.

"I won't let you hurt DARIUS!" Kaiji roared, his fist cocked back and the scales on his legs glowing faintly from the incredible power he'd drawn to close the distance between them.

"You BAST-" Before she could finish, Adachi silenced her with a punch to the jaw. The crowd exploding in cheers as Kaiji sent her flying off the car and to the ground below. The boy landed on shaking legs, his tail grabbing Junior before he jumped back and made a mad dash for the police, "Grr... D-Don't just stand there!" She screamed as she got back to her feet, "STOP HIM!"

The Noumu's reacted instantly, the quicker smaller one jumping to the nearest wall where it stuck, eye glowing brightly as it fired that terrible beam of heat. But it wasn't aiming directly at them, instead it fired at the ground before them cutting off their escape and making Kaiji slide to a stop. The boy turned fast towards the oncoming brute Noumu.

"Hang on!" Adachi shouted to the boy who was quivering in fear. Without hesitation, Kaiji brought up his arms to defend against the oncoming punch, while also swinging his tail around and throwing the boy as hard as he could towards the police.

"NO!" Zodiac screamed in anger, watching as the police caught him.

But Kaiji was still in danger, the impact to his forearms sent him sliding back and crashing into a wall. Luckily, he'd forged crystals along his forearms to reinforce them preventing his bones from behind shattered. But as the cracked and broken crystals started to break away, Kaiji was left gasping for breath as he looked up at the Noumu skulking towards him.

 _"Dammit, I overdid it with that last move,"_ He realized, trying to think of a new plan, _"My muscles were too weak after changing back, I need to move NOW!"_

But just as the Noumu was getting into arms range to grab him, a familiar figure swooped in. Talons grabbing the Noumu by the shoulders from behind, and throwing him hard back across the street, and away from Kaiji, "G-Gryphon!" Kaiji gasped, eyes going wide.

The bird faced hero smirked, "You're making a habit of needing me to save you, not smart..." He joked while touching down, "Oh, and by the way, it isn't just me."

The Noumu hanging above was suddenly blasted by a thick orb of blue plasma, making it screech in pain before falling from the wall. Hitting the ground and skittering away as the armored form of Vector landed, jetpack sizzling out as he touched down and the blaster on his wrist glowing as it charged, "You really just don't know when to quit Zodiac..."

"And now you've made me mad." Darius grumbled, stepping out through the crowd. He wasn't wearing his hero gear, as he'd only been on his way to the hospital when he heard of the attack. His son watched from behind him, crying tears of joy as the relief of his safety hit him, "Get Adachi to safety and to a doctor Gryphon, I'll handle things from here."

"I'll back you up." Vector nodded, standing beside him, "Lets put her down and behind bars for good!"

Zodiac hid a wicked smirk behind a false fear, "I'm not giving up that easily, you're both going to DIE HERE!"


	30. When It Rains

**VictorsMyName: I know what a landmine is -_- Lol**

 **Also I have finished writing what is needed for the end of the this section of the story so I'll be posting daily until it is all out. Now, this does not mean the story is ending, it just means that once all I have is out posted I'll be on break until more of the show comes out. I unfortunately do not have the time between social life and my work schedule to read through all of the manga or even go looking for it lol**

 **So, this chapter is the final part of the interships, and after this we have one final arc to finish things up and establish some connections. Its gonna be a wild, emotional ride!**

 **Finally, do to some darker content, this chapter is rated M. You have been warned.**

* * *

Kaiji winced, as Gryphon pulled one of the boys arm over his shoulder to lead him to safety, "W-Wait! Darius..." He managed, looking towards the hero as Gryphon stopped, "Th-That big guy... The bigger Noumu... You can't attack him head on!"

Darius didn't dare take his eyes off the enemy, but he listened intently, "Explain, what do you know?"

"His body absorbs physical attacks, l-like the Noumu from the USJ that fought All Might." Adachi went on, "He has shock absorption... But there's something different about it, he can somehow magnify and release that force with those smaller hands, that's how the street got so torn up." He gripped his ribs suddenly, "Gah!"

"Whoa take it easy kid..." Vector warned, looking to him with concern.

"I had to test my theory..." Kaiji continued, panting heavily, "It was a big risk, but I knew I couldn't beat these things... So I decided to go for gathering information, I-I hope it pays off..."

"Hmm... Thank you Kaiji, now let me handle this." Darius ordered, clenching his fists as he marched forward, "Its time I put you away for good Zodiac!"

She rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips, "I'd love to see you try, Noumu, Kill them!"

The muscular mutant lunged forward, arm reaching out for Darius intent on crushing him as quickly as possible. But the monkey man was ready for it, raising his left arm and taking the punch as he guarded. Glaring at the beast while his eyes glowed with his own primal energy, fur starting to shimmer and glow the same way Kaiji's scales did, "Tch, Pathetic!" He grabbed ahold of the arm, pulling the Noumu over his shoulder and throwing him hard across the street.

At the same time, the smaller Noumu jumped to a building wall and fired a beam of red light at him. But Vector intercepted, getting between him and the beam, the crowd watched in awe as a barrier of light around his form absorbed the blast, "Thanks for the energy boost!" Vector smirked, aiming his wrist blaster at the agile Noumu and firing, causing it to jump out of the way, "Oh no you don't!" His rockets activated, and he blasted into the air in hot pursuit, "You can't run from ME!"

Pro Hero Vector! Quirk: NONE! Vector is a genius inventor that started off in the support classes at UA. Before some of his more incredible inventions allowed him to bypass members of the Hero Course and secure a position among them! His suit is armed with all kinds of technical marvels, ranging from shield generators, to blasters, lasers and more!

As the battle continued, Gryphon lead Kaiji to a nearby ambulance where they were also looking over Darius' son to make sure he wasn't hurt, "Just hang on, you'll be okay Cinder."

Kaiji winced, leaning against him for support before the medics started taking a look at him, "I'm more worried about Darius... At this point, they've lost their trump card, without the hostage she can't hope to just take him down... Not out here with all these bystanders and police."

Gryphon nodded his head, "She should have made a run for it by now, it doesn't make sense to keep fighting."

"Unless she has something else planned."

"H-H-Hey..." Kaiji blinked, looking to Junior, who was nervously fidgeting and couldn't seem to look up at Kaiji, "Th-Thanks for... Saving me."

Kaiji smiled faintly, nodding his head, "Any time."

Darius ducked beneath the beasts heavier arms, delivering a powerful bone breaking punch to his chest. But as before, the creature was unfazed, attempting to grab ahold of him but Darius moved too nimbly to be caught. Sliding between the Noumu's legs and getting behind it, before spinning while springing off his feet and kicking it hard in the back. The blow was absorbed, and the Noumu instantly turned on him trying to grab Darius once more but he back flipped out of the way.

"Weren't you listening to that boy?" Zodiac smirked as she watched, "His power is shock absorption! You won't get anywhere with those brute force attacks!"

"You're wrong," Darius scoffed, dodging another attack with a speedy sidestep, delivering a brutal punch to the Noumu's jaw before jumping away to avoid being grabbed, "His quirk is absorption and release, that means there's a limit to what this things body can hold!" Zodiac's smirk faltered, Darius leaning back to avoid being grabbed, before flipping back and driving his knee into the beasts jaw making it stumble, "So long as I don't let it release that force on me, it's body will overload!"

Darius kept beating on Noumu, the impacts were starting to shake the street as the mutant struggled to hold more energy being forced into its body. Darius was purposely putting all the power he had into those attacks, but without transforming he remained fast enough to avoid capture! Slamming the beast from all sides with his glowing fists or feet, soon the creature wasn't absorbing the attacks at all! And damage was beginning to show on its form!

"Graah!" Zodiac shouted in anger, "Noumu! Kill this bastard NOW! Release the energy! Do whatever you have to!"

The Noumu reacted, instantly trying to place its hands on the ground to unleash the energy it had stored up. But before it could, Darius made his move, "Gotcha!" He growled, wrapping his arms around the Noumu from behind, his body glowing more with energy as he pinned the creatures smaller hands, preventing it from unleashing the energy, "You aren't going to harm anyone else here today! This fight, is OVER!" He spun around suddenly, and with a mighty gust of wind from the force he was unleashing, threw Noumu high into the air.

Darius immediately followed it up, super charging his legs and springing himself high into the sky with Noumu. The mutant trying frantically to readjust itself and grab at him. But as Darius flew towards him, his body began to change rapidly. Fur enveloping his form and his features growing even more apelike. His arms growing longer, his forearms and hands thicker and more muscular than the area above them, his legs bent and remained smaller looking capable of incredibly powerful leaps. His tail looked thicker and stronger as well, while his jaw protruded a bit, his mouth filling with sharp teeth.

 **"Take THIS!"** He roared his right fist super charging with primal force as he brought the massive arm down on his foe, **"Koooooong! CRUSH!"** The impact shook the heavens above with the immense shock wave created. Rattling the clouds and forcing them to unleash a new downpour of rain as the Noumu was sent careening into the earth below at unstoppable speed. The already ruined intersection was blown up in another cloud of dust as it made impact, shaking the surrounding area and burying the beast in a newly formed crater.

Darius remained in his beast form, landing on the edge of the building. His hand dug into the stone structure, locking him in place as he hung on the side, glaring down at Zodiac who looked up at him in awe, "Heh... And here I thought you'd get rusty without me causing you problems." She chuckled nervously, putting on an excellent facade, "I suppose you always were the self improvement type..."

"This fight is over, surrender and come quietly." Vector ordered, the Noumu he had been chasing landing in a crumbled, burned heap beside Zodiac but its body was swiftly regenerating. The one in the crater however, remained down and out, body too badly damaged to get up and it seemed to lack the regeneration ability, "I'm sure the Warden kept your cell nice and warm for you..."

Zodiac sighed heavily, appearing crestfallen, "Very well... I suppose there really is nothing left for me to do... Well, except this." A wicked smirk spread across her face, "Noumu! KILL THE TARGET!" It wasn't just some random order, this was a specific command. One that had been imprinted into the mutants mind by its creator.

Both heroes prepared themselves, as the smaller Noumu jumped into the air, landing on the building facing Darius as a peculiar angle. Its eye began to glow brightly, bulging grotesquely as it charged an even more powerful laser than before. Unleashing it with a sickening spurt of blood from the intense, unstable attack. The laser was far bigger, turning the air around it hot and filling the intersection with a blood red glow as it raced towards Darius.

 **"GRAH!"** He grunted, jumping over the laser and preparing to grab the Noumu, **"You'll have to be a lot faster than that!"**

But others saw what Darius had not. In his confidence, Darius assumed that the Target in question was him, he was the one Zodiac hated most after all. But on the ground below, it was clear this was a trick. The twisted genius of their enemies showing clearly, as the beam raced towards the ambulance where Kaiji and Junior rested.

 _"Just like before,"_ Kaiji realized, eyes wide with fear. His body far too damaged to tired to make a move here, _"She played us all for fools..."_

But just as he was sure they would both be burned alive by either the beam or the explosion that would no doubt consume the ambulance. A familiar, winged figure got between them. Adachi realized what was happening, and his fear was increased ten fold, "NO!"

The resounding explosion blew away some of the nearby crowd and officers. Nearly tipping the ambulance, and filling the street with smoke. All eyes turning away from the villains, and onto the impact point searching for the man who had gotten in the way.

"G-Gryphon..." Vector muttered, his visor letting him see clearly through the smoke. He blasted towards him, completely forgetting about Zodiac, as he raced to the falling Side Kick. Catching him mid fall, and landing on the ground, "Gryphon! Stay with me!" He shouted frantically, helmet opening. His body was badly damaged, skin fur and feathers terrible burnt. He was bleeding badly from where he'd taken the impact in the center of the chest. Blood ran from his beak, and his eyes were vacant, "GET ANOTHER AMBULANCE!"

"T-Take this one!" Kaiji shouted, pulling Junior out and limping away from it. Trying to keep Junior from looking at the badly injured hero, "J-Just hurry! Get him out of here!"

Darius watched, eyes wide with shock. He had the Noumu responsible pinned down beneath him. But he was paralyzed, body going numb, **"Z-Zodiac... You've... Y-You've gone TOO FAR!"** His eyes darted to where she was, or rather... Where she had been. In the chaos, she had disappeared once again, fleeing the scene. Even the other Noumu had completely disappeared, vanishing from the crater when everyone was looking away or blinded by the blast.

 _"Gryphon..."_ Darius clenched his fists tightly, eyes started to burn with rage, **"HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"** Many eyes darted back to Darius, as he turned his rage onto the Noumu beneath him while the paramedics loaded up Gryphon into the ambulance. He raised a mighty fist high overhead, and Vector gasped, rushing forward.

"DARIUS STOP!"

 **"GRAAAAAH!"** The earth shook, and people gashed in both fear and disgust as he slammed it down upon the Noumu. Blood splattered the street, and Darius dropped the body of the diminutive creature that had harmed his friend, and attempted to kill his son. He brought up both hands, smashing the Noumu once more and forcing much of the crowd to look away.

"NO!" Vector shouted, running towards him, blasting towards him with his rockets in an attempt to keep him from going too far.

 **"GET AWAY FROM ME!"** He roared, turning and swinging one mighty fist. The blow collided with Vector, sending him crashing through a nearby buildings windows, before he turned attention back to the Noumu.

Kaiji was forced to look away as well, he couldn't bare to see it. Hearing the sickening crunches, shattering of bones, and squelching of flesh. As Darius tore the mutant villain apart. And when it was finished, when the terrible noises stopped, he dared to look at his teacher once more. Nearly flinching away, as he saw the apes thick arms covered in the blood of the villain. Nothing but a puddle of blood and viscera remaining below him.

Darius Krowe, hadn't just killed the Noumu... He tore it apart, mutilated the mutant, completely destroyed it.

 **"HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"** He roared to the heavens, before falling to his knees in the following silence. His form began to revert, and Darius was human once again, sobbing over the puddle that used to be his enemy.

The crowd was silent, the only sound that of the ambulance as it drove off with Gryphon inside. And Vector, as he pulled himself out of the store wreckage. His armor had been badly damaged, and his right arm was hanging limp. Clearly broken by Darius' overpowering attack. He panted, limping towards him slowly. But the fallen hero couldn't bare to look up at his friend...

"Darius..." Vector muttered, "You..."

"I know... I know what I've done..."

"You won't be let off the hook for this." Vector sighed heavily, slumping down onto the ground before him. Feeling heat behind his own eyes, "They'll put you behind bars... Revoke your hero license..."

"She played us again," Darius let out a sad, choked laugh through his sobs, "We were fools... Walked right into a trap."

"No, I don't think this was her plan." Vector shook his head, feeling a few of his own tears about to spill over. The blood beneath them being slowly washed away by the rain pouring down overhead, "Whoever gave her those Noumu... They knew what had to be done... And were more than willing to sacrifice to do it... We never stood a chance."

Adachi was forced away from the intersection, lead to his own ambulance as Police started quartering off the area and starting to search for Zodiac and the Noumu. He was forced in, laid back on a bed while they started looking him over to deal with his injuries. Kaiji couldn't hear them, his ears still ringing with the sound of Darius' terrible, feral roar. In that moment, as the adrenaline wore off, and the reality of this event started to his him...

Kaiji began to cry, tears running down his face. In the back of that ambulance, for a moment that brave young man disappeared. The hero in training that stood up to mighty villains vanished from existence as images of this cruel, harsh reality of evil sank into his mind. For that moment, he didn't care about good or evil, right or wrong. He didn't care about becoming some great noble hero that would protect others...

 _"I just... Want to go home..."_

* * *

 **And that is the end of the interships, dark stuff...**

 **Also, I wasn't sure how good my description of DKs beast form was, but I am basing it off of Apemon, so just google that if you want a better picture, Darius just wasn't yellow XD**


	31. Home

**VictorsMyName: Oh, her victory is far from over ;3**

 **We're nearing the end folks! And I completely forgot to mention, we broke over ten thousand views, thats kinda cool :D I'm honestly surprised this story has done so well for being my first here. But I'm glad everyone is enjoying it! I suppose I wouldn't mind a little more feedback... But it's fine I guess!**

* * *

In the aftermath of Zodiacs attack, the Dokuga District fell silent. The rain clouds pouring overhead were a perfect example of what they were feeling. The hero they trusted the most, the one that had put Zodiac away so long ago, had done the unthinkable. Though, many would argue what he did wasn't so bad, given the circumstances. But the laws were strict on what Heroes could and couldn't do, and Darius Krowe had crossed the red line.

Gryphon was in emergency care, whether or not he was going to pull through remained a mystery to everyone. His injuries were severe, and chances were even if he did survive his body would have some permanent damage.

The worst part, was that Zodiac had gotten away again. Vanishing from the city without any trace of where she might have gone, or when she would return. And so in the mean time, Vector pledged to take up the position as defender of this District. But that didn't do much to raise anyones spirits...

Kaiji and Pony were sent home later that day. Despite Kaiji still being injured and bandaged up, their internships were over and he had no reason to stay. Not that he wanted to...

He boarded the train, and started heading north around late afternoon. His body covered in various bandages, but luckily aside from a few broken ribs he didn't have any injuries that were too serious. Hopefully they'd be fixed by the time he returned to school on Monday. And if he really wanted to heal himself, he could just transform once he got home. Though, after seeing what Darius had done in his beast form, he wasn't sure if he could trust that power...

But was two days really enough time? Enough time to forget what he'd seen, to get past the experience that had shaken him to the very core? Kaiji wasn't sure, so much of his resolve had been broken away by that mess, the idea that some villains could do such terrible things... Could make a hero do such a terrible thing? It made him afraid, afraid of what he might be getting into.

For now, he just wanted to see his friends.

 **. . .**

After arriving back in his home town, Kaiji made his way straight home. He considered going to see Ashido or Kirishima, but without his phone he had no way of knowing if they had returned yet. He was sure they'd just call his house once they realized they couldn't get ahold of him. And all that aside, he wanted to hear how his fathers trip to see Mother had gone.

Adachi reached his front door, not bothering to knock as he pushed open the door, "I'm home!" He called out, sliding off his shoes and setting them aside, "Dad? You here?" Kaiji questioned, stepping into the kitchen as he left the hall.

"Oh, hey Kaiji, you look different." He turned his head to the familiar female voice. Seeing his mother sitting at the table, munching on what appeared to be a late dinner, "Your dads alseep already, been a busy day."

"Oh, alright," Kaiji replied, not yet registering the situation, "Well, I'm gonna get some rest too, I'll see you in th- Wait, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" He exploded suddenly.

Shisui lifted her head, swallowing another mouthful before her mouth split into a big smug grin, "Komaji pushed my papers through! I'm officially a free woman again! Well, mostly... Still gotta do those weekly drug tests and can't be out too late without good reason..."

"Th-That's amazing!" Kaiji smiled for the first time since this morning, "I can't believe it! S-So you'll be staying here from now on?"

She got up from the table, pulling him into a hug without warning, "That's right kiddo! Mom's home and she's not going anywhere!"

"Ow ow ow!" Kaiji hissed in pain under his mothers tight embrace, making her quickly let go, "Sorry, I'm a little banged up." He explained, opening his coat to show the bandages wrapped around his torso.

"What happened?" She asked worriedly, grin fading away in an instant, "Something during your internship?"

"Yeah, another scrap with some nasty villains." Kaiji sighed heavily, "Look I... I'll tell you later, if you don't hear about it on the news first..." He said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

Shisui could tell something was wrong, but didn't press for answers, "Alright, fair enough... Also, where's your phone? One of your friends left a message, saying he couldn't get ahold of you, apparently its an emergency?"

Adachi blinked in surprise, "An emergency? I'll call back right away, o-oh yeah, my phone..." He released a nervous laugh, "I uh... Sorta lost it, when the Agency burned down." But before she could go off on him for answers, he grabbed the house phone and started dialing the return number, "This is Kirishima's number... I wonder what's up..."

 **. . .**

Kaiji arrived at the hospital an hour later after another train ride, getting the room number from the lady at the desk before quickly heading to the elevator. It was late, night had already descended upon this district so there weren't many people in the halls. Kirishima said they should wait until morning, but Kaiji was too worried to sleep without at least seeing what happened.

He pushed open the door, blinking in surprise as he saw a nurse checking over the strange object laid out on a bed, "Oh, another visitor?" She asked, bowing her head politely, "There isn't much time left for visiting hours, but you won't get much out of this one anyways..."

Kaiji's eyes never left the strange chrysalis, as he slowly stepped into the room, "Uh... Yeah I just... I guess I'm still trying to figure out exactly what happened." He explained, approaching the bed.

"Mm, well from the report," The nurse began, lifting up the clipboard beside the bed, "Mina Ashido, was trapped in a burning building when it collapsed... We really can't be sure of her physical state, but this is what they found where she was supposed to be." The nurse explained, "However, a sensory hero has confirmed that she is inside, and alive."

Kaiji let out a relieved sigh, slouching his shoulders, "That's good to hear... Does uh... Anyone know when she might come out?"

"We have no way of knowing." The nurse answered simply, "But her family does not seem worried, for now all we can do is wait, it would appear." She shrugged, before setting the clipboard aside and stepping out, leaving Kaiji alone.

The young hero couldn't stop staring at the strange cocoon that apparently had his friend inside. After a moment, he took a deep breath and sat down beside the bed, "Well, I think its safe to say you've trumped the rest of the class in weirdest internship results..." He said aloud, knowing she couldn't hear him, "I suppose I'm glad you're okay... Assuming you aren't going to come out of that as a damn butterfly or something." Kaiji joked, leaning back in the chair a bit, looking up to the clock.

"I guess I shouldn't stay long... Its already past Nine," He muttered, looking down at his hands for a moment, before he reached over and placed one on the smooth surface of the chrysalis, "You had better come out of this thing alright... I don't need anymore trauma this week..."

With that, Kaiji stood up slowly and made his way out the door. Heading home for the night, going to finally get that rest he needed. Still trying to digest all that had happened today. It seemed like in the span of twelve hours, his entire world had flipped in strange ways. He witnessed a gruesome killing, his mother was home from jail and they were a full family again, and his best friend was now in a cocoon...

 _"Can I please just get a normal, uneventful week before this term is over?"_

 **. . .**

The next morning, Kaiji was awoken by a knock at his bedroom door, and a voice he was still adjusting to hearing in his home, "Hey! Breakfast is done, get up!" Shisui commanded rather bluntly. She was obviously adjusting to becoming an at home Mother, wonder how long that would last...

Kaiji yawned as he rolled over and got up, slipping on his pajamas before heading to the kitchen where is Father and Mother were already sitting and eating, "Huh, well this is a new sight." He said with a smile, taking his seat across from them and starting to eat.

His father laughed, "Yes, I had always hoped we'd have a chance to sit down and eat as a family... I'm very glad you're home Shisui."

She shot him a playful smirk, "After that welcome home present, I'm sure you are Kento~"

Both Kaiji and his father began choking on food and drink. As Shisui laughed at their reactions, "Sh-Shisui please!" Kento coughed roughly, "N-Not in front of Kaiji!"

"What? Come on loosen up!" Shisui laughed, munching her food and talking through a mouthful, "No need to be so uptight! You certainly weren't while we were catching up-"

"OKAY THEN!" Kaiji stood up from his chair, face deep red, "I think I'll just head out, I was planning to meet Kirishima this morning anyways." He coughed nervously, quickly eating up a few more mouthfuls of food, "You two just... Work on this, okay? Bye!" He waved and frantically ran back to his room to change before racing his way out the door.

"Kaiji wait!" Shisui barked, catching him by the arm, "Here, take this!" She said, handing him a new phone, "Your father got this for me... Buuut I really don't have anyone to worry about calling yet, so you take it! I'll get a new one, you need it more than I do." She chuckled, forcing the device into his hands, "I even changed it last night to use your old Number."

"O-Oh uh... Thanks." He nodded with a smile, "I really appreciate it, I'll see you guys later." Adachi waved her off one final time, before heading out the door.

As it closed behind him, Shisui returned to the kitchen, noting Kento's rather disapproving expression, "What?"

"You should really work on censoring yourself a bit," He noted, "He is still young, you should be setting a better example."

Shisui sighed, rolling her eyes as she poked at her food, pouting, "Hmph, you're no fun anymore... You certainly weren't complaining when I rocked your crippled worl-"

"SHISUI!"

 **. . .**

Kaiji made his way down to the river, shooting Kirishima a text along the way after adding his number to the new phone. Tucking it away as he arrived, he slumped down onto a bench, eyes turning to the rising sun, "I really missed this morning view..." He muttered to himself.

"Kaiji!" A hand slapped down on his back, making him yelp in pain, "Oh! Geez sorry! I didn't see the bandages!" Kirishima exclaimed frantically, waving his hands in apology, "What happened?"

As Kaiji recovered, he groaned and leaned back in the seat, "Just took a beating fighting some villains during my internship." He sighed, shaking his head, "Its no big deal I'll be fine in a few days probably... So, how did your internship go?"

"Oh uh..." Kirishima nervously scratched the back of his neck while taking a seat as well, "It was alright, Fourth Kind was as amazing as I thought he'd be, but we just kinda did a lot of community work... No real fighting."

"That's a shame," Adachi replied, knowing exactly why Kirishima picked to go there, "Do you think you'll go back?"

"Not sure." He shrugged, "Tetsutetsu was there too, and that was cool... But forget about my internship, what the heck happened to you?" He questioned, pointing to Kaiji's body, "You look completely different! You used to look all sickly and scrawny, you like totally manned up!"

Adachi couldn't help but laugh at that, and after the last few days laughing felt great, "It was all part of some special training I did, the hero I interned with DK he-" His words hitched for a moment, as the sight of the blood covered beast hero flickered through his mind refusing to be forgotten, "He... He was like me, Quirk-wise I mean... He showed me how to catalyze my body, make it a better conduit for my powers." He explained, though his tone had grown somber, something Kirishima definitely noticed, "I don't have a second form anymore, I think, just the final beast form... But this stage is far more stronger than both forms were before, it's insane really."

"That's amazing..." Kirishima nodded his head, keeping a close eye on his friends body language. He knew something was wrong, "So... I, sorta heard on the news some bad stuff went down in Dokuga, more stuff connected to the League of Villains."

Kaiji turned his gaze to the ground, "Yeah... They, they did something really bad there... That's how I ended up so injured, fighting another one of those Noumu creatures..."

Kaiji stiffened, as Kirishima placed a hand on his shoulder, "My parents they... Wouldn't let me see it, but they told me DK did something really bad..."

Adachi's hands clenched, "I-It was all that crazy woman... Zodiac."

It hurt to talk about, to remember what had happened. But as he explained everything that had happened during his internship, from the bridge to the intersection, Kaiji felt a strange weight lifting. Kirishima didn't ask too many questions, just let Kaiji vent about the experience. They had been friends for a long time, and he was willing to just hear what Kaiji had to say, and let it out before he wound himself too tight. It lasted for some time, long enough for the sun to fully ascend the horizon.

And by the end of it, Kaiji felt less... Traumatized? Less afraid? He wasn't sure... The reservation was still there, but he felt a little better.

"You really looked up to this Darius guy huh?" Eijiro asked calmly.

"I did..." Kaiji didn't even hesitate before answering, "It just... It sucks, that a villain could twist him that way, push him so far." Adachi shook his head, "I know Darius isn't evil... He just snapped." An afterthought slipped through his repressed thoughts, _"But that's not just it is it... You know you might act the same way, if a friend was hurt that badly by a villain."_

"You know he wouldn't want you to be beating yourself up over it." Kirishima assured, "I know you can't just forget about it... But I guess just, I don't know, use it as a lesson? To not let yourself be blinded by anger..."

"Yeah, I guess that's all I can do." Kaiji sighed, leaning back in the seat once more, "Thanks Kirishima, its good to be back among friends." He chuckled.

"Don't sweat it, we're like brothers right?" Kirishima questioned, offering him a hand as he stood up.

Kaiji nodded, grinning as he took it and was pulled up, "Brothers."

"Oh! By the way," Kirishima added quickly, "The word got out about Ashido, a few of us from Class are gonna meet up at the Hospital, just say hi and check on her later today, you in?"

Adachi blinked, before nodding eagerly, "I wouldn't miss it!"


	32. Friends

**VictorsMyName: He very well might, buts its fine because this will just be a nice, happy, calm chapter where absolutely nothing bad happens at all :D**

 **IVReal: Yes, friends are very important!**

* * *

Later that Saturday afternoon, Kaiji and Kirishima arrived together at the Hospital where Ashido was currently laid up. Not all of the class had shown up of course, as they were either busy or still recovering from their Internships, this was of course the case with Todoroki, Iida and Midoriya who had been saved by Endeavor from that terrible hero killer Stain. The few that did arrive were all friends with the girl, all worried about her safety and hoping that she would have awoken by now.

But they couldn't all flood her room at the Hospital, and so the students all convened in the lobby after taking their time to see her.

"I hate the waiting," Uraraka sighed, slumping into a chair, "But the doctors and her family say she'll be alright... I just hope she doesn't miss any class I guess."

"Our support is all we can give," Tokoyami added, "But we shouldn't worry ourselves sick, that won't help her at all."

"That's right," Sato nodded, punching his palm with a fist for emphasis, "Ashido is tough! She'll be fine."

Kirishima chuckled in agreement, "Yeah she is, but hey we're all here so I'm assuming nobody has plans?" He questioned, earning acknowledgement from everyone, "So why don't we hit up a restaurant?" He suggested with a grin.

"Like go out to eat?" Jiro asked, crossing her arms, "I interned here, I do remember Deatharms mentioning a few good restaurants... One of them should be just up the street."

"That sounds like fun!" Uraraka beamed, "We can all catch up on our internships together over dinner!"

Adachi shrugged, "Sure, Moms still trying to get the hang of cooking so there won't be any good food waiting for me at home anyways." He joked.

"I see no reason not to," Tokoyami nodded, "We could all learn from each others experiences."

"Yeah, and I totally wanna hear what went down in Dokuga," Sato replied, jabbing a finger at Kaiji, "You look totally different! And those bandages mean you got into some kinda trouble right?"

Kaiji nervously laughed, "Eh, yeah uh... Maybe lets avoid that for now."

 **. . .**

The group of friends left the Hospital, and let Jiro lead the way up the street to what looked like a nice casual restaurant. It was nothing too fancy, which was good because this bunch of teens likely wouldn't be admitted to some place like that. They got in with ease and were given a large table near the back, the place had an interesting Chinese theme to it.

"Whoa check it out," Uraraka eagerly pointed to the table cloth, "It's an old Chinese calendar thingy!"

"Oh yeah," Sato blinked, running a hand over some of the symbols and pictures, "Its got all those animals on it, what were these calendars called again?"

"Zodiac calendars, I believe." Tokoyami answered.

At the sound of a thud, everyone looked to Kaiji, who's head was face down on the table, "Uh, you okay dude?" Jiro asked, poking him.

Kirishima nervously laughed, "Yeah yeah he's fine just uh..." He trailed off, nudging Kaiji, who refused to respond, "ANYWAYS! What is everyone gonna order?"

Despite Kaiji's... Issue, they all enjoyed the dinner. Eating and chatting about their internships, and just enjoying their short break before they would have to return to school. They listened intently to Uraraka's tale of training with Gunhead, to Tokoyami's take down of the Black Cat Crime Syndicate alongside the Crow. And Jiro's story explaining how Ashido ended up in that cocoon in the first place. Even Sato had some interesting things to pass on from the Agency he interned at. And it wasn't until another two hours later, when the sun was already setting, that they made their way out of the restaurant. Stepping out into the street and stretching their legs.

"Well, that was fun," Uraraka smiled as she stretched a little, "But I need to head home, I'll see you guys on Monday!"

"Yeah, I should be on my way too, its a long train ride." Sato added, "Later!" Both students waved them off, heading down the street towards the station as everyone offered their goodbyes.

As the two departed, Kaiji yawned and rolled his shoulders, "What about you guys?" He asked, looking to Jiro and Tokoyami, "Me and Kirishima gotta take the same train, but I think we'll swing by Ashido's room one more time first."

"Sure, why not?" Jiro shrugged, stuffing her hands in her pockets, "I don't live very far, so I'm down to hang a little longer."

"I've no problem remaining longer, though I'd prefer to be gone before night falls..." Tokoyami added.

"Right," Kirishima nodded, "Just a swing by and we'll head out."

With the decision made, the group started making their way back to the large hospital. It was in sight from the street they were already on, so they didn't have to go far. Along the walk, Kirishima started chatting with Tokoyami, the two talking more about his fight with those criminals, and Kirishima lamenting his lack of action during the internships. But as they spoke, Jiro nervously walked alongside Kaiji.

"Hey uh... Are we cool?" She asked suddenly, fidgeting a bit with her hands.

"Huh?" Kaiji blinked, "Uh, I don't- Why wouldn't we be?" He asked confused.

"I guess I just-" Jiro nervously rubbed the back of her neck before sighing, "I hope you don't blame me for what happened to Ashido..."

"Oh, because you were there..." Kaiji answered, briefly reviewing what she had told everyone about the incident, "I guess, why be more concerned with me being mad than anyone else?" He questioned curiously.

"I mean, aren't you two like, an item?" She asked rather bluntly.

Kaiji nearly tripped mid walk, "A-An item!?" He exclaimed, blushing deeply, "I- Why would you even think that!?"

"Well, ever since Mineta saw you and her share that uh, moment, after the Sports Festival..." Jiro trailed off, coughing nervously, "Anyways, word got around kinda fast."

Kaiji face palmed, _"I guess we were in a public place, I shouldn't be too surprised Kirishima wasn't the only one to see us, but still..."_ Kaiji sighed shaking his head, "Remind me to punt that little bastard the next time I see him... But Jiro, I uh, I guess I'm not really sure." He shrugged, "I mean, we haven't really talked about it since it happened, so... I don't know, might have just been a heat of the moment kinda thing." Kaiji explained, unsure himself really, before he shook it off, "Uh, anyways... No, I not mad at you." He chuckled with a light blush, "I've known Mina a long time, and when she decides what she wants to do even All Might couldn't stop her!" He joked, earning a relieved smile from Jiro, "She'll be fine, I'm sure... So don't worry about it."

She nodded her head, "Thanks, certainly a weight off my shoulders... Not having to worry about a giant angry lizard coming after me..."

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

Suddenly, high above them, an explosion of glass sounded. All eyes turning upward, only to see shards from the Hospitals windows raining down along with some debris. People started screaming, clearing the area quickly, as did the students. But as Kaiji dove out of the way, his eyes widened, spotting a long serpentine figure flying free of the building.

Covered in golden scales, with a long body armed with razor sharp claws on its feet and hands, the beast resembled a Chinese dragon. Even sporting a thick snow white mane, with long whiskers at the end of its nose. Atop its head were two thick, curved horns. But most notable, was the long body coiled around a familiar white object. There was no mistaking it, whatever this thing was, it had made off with Ashido!

Kaiji wanted to give chase, to run down the streets like a madman and chase this beast to the ends of the earth. But as it flew further, and further from view at such incredible speed, he found himself frozen in place. Ears ringing, and mind completely lost to the world around him. The young hero could do nothing but watch as his friend was carried away, into the twilight.

 **. . .**

Zodiac flew out of the warp gate, arriving at her preferred destination with her prize, the last piece of her puzzle. Sliding to a stop as she set the chrysalis down, changing back into human form as Kurogiri watched nearby, "So, this is it?" He asked with mild interest.

"Thaaaaat's right," She smirked, running a hand over the surface, "I heard that little bastard talking to it, her, whatever... Seems his friend is inside, totally immobilized and ripe for the picking!" She grinned wickedly, "With this, he'll have no choice but to keel over and die~"

"Such tremendous lengths for a child," Kurogiri noted, crossing his arms, "I never knew you to hold such a grudge Kasumi." His voice drenched in sarcasm.

"Ugh, I know right? I'm just disgusting," She rolled her eyes, rolling the object to the far side of the abandoned shipping yard, "But that kid has made a fool of me not once, but twice! I won't let that stand, so he WILL die!"

"You wear the Master's patience thin with this petty endeavor," He reminded, walking alongside her as she moved, "You understand that right?"

"I get it, no more fun after this." She sighed shaking her head, wrapping a few chains around the chrysalis to keep it secured atop the old shipping crate, "Once I take care of that boy, you'll have my devoted service..."

 **. . .**

The police were investigating, and the few heroes that could fly were scouring the area for any sign of the dragon, or rather, of Zodiac. But she was as elusive as ever, and it was already nightfall which meant tracking her down would be even more difficult. Nobody understood why she would go after Ashido, nobody other than Kaiji. After knowing what she had done to try and get to Darius, he was sure this could be the very same plan. Most assumed she would demand a ransom from the family, but he knew the truth.

But why him? Why now!? It had only been a day since the events in Dokuga, why would she come after him now? Was it because of his injuries? She probably didn't know about his healing factor, so she might want to take him down because he's weak... But that still raised the question, _"Why would she come after me?"_ He wondered, remembering his actions against her before now. First, he defeated her, exposed her weakness in their battle at the AMA. And a few days later, he decked her, and almost completely ruined her plan to take down Darius, _"Is she just sending a message not to mess with her? Is she really so petty?"_

"Hey, Kaiji." He looked up, brought back to reality as Kirishima put a hand on his shoulder, "Come on, its late... We should get home." His voice was softer than usual, lacking that usual spark he carried.

Adachi narrowed his eyes, "I can't just leave, not when Ashido is-"

"Out of our reach." Tokoyami answered, arms crossed, "The pros will find her, and bring her home, we must have faith in the heroes we strive to join."

"It sucks, but none of us can do anything about it now." Jiro chimed in with a sigh, "Lets head home, and get some rest... Maybe we could get together tomorrow and start looking? Or just try to help out..."

"Trust me man," Kirishima continued, "The last thing I want to do is let that crazy lady take her away, but we can't help anyone if we're all exhausted! I promise, first thing in the morning we'll go out there and start looking, all day if we have too!"

Kaiji sighed heavily in defeat, grimacing as he stared at the ground, "Alright... Fine, doubt I'll be getting much sleep though..." He hated to admit it, but they were right. He was exhausted, mentally and physically from the days events. Even if he knew where she was, he was in no shape to pick fights, "Thanks everyone, I appreciate th-" He was cut off, as his phone started buzzing, "Oh uh, sorry, I'll just-" Kaiji blinked as he looked at the screen.

 _"Number unavailable?"_ Adachi thought confused, answering the call and putting it to his ear, "Hello?"

"Kaiji! Babe! Buddy, guy, pal, friend~" His entire body stiffened, "Are you alone?"

"Whoa, Adachi are you okay?" Jiro blinked confused seeing his sudden change in composure.

"Hmm, I'll take that as a no." Zodiac answered, "Find some privacy, now."

"I-I don't-"

"You've got ten seconds, before your friend dies."

"O-Okay okay," He replied frantically, "Sorry guys, I need to take this its important!" Kaiji assured, rushing into a nearby empty room and closing the door behind him, "Okay, I'm alone... What do you want Zodiac?" He asked grimly.

"Fame, fortune, a harem of obedient strongmen~" She answered with a voice full of mirth, "But, for now, you will suffice... You want your friend back? Then we'll make a trade."

Kaiji clenched his fist tightly, body shaking, "Fine... Name your price."

"Your life, for hers."

Kaiji felt his heart sink, anything he might have thought of saying was lost as his body froze up.

"HelloooOOoooOooo~ You still there?" Her voice sounded so playful and amused, with manic enjoyment.

"I... I guess I didn't expect anything less..." He finally managed, emotion draining from his face and voice.

"Oh now don't sound so sad~!" She giggled wickedly, "I could have came crashing in, guns blazing and killed you and your friends anytime I wanted! But, I decided that would be so boring, fighting you to the death... No no no! I want you to give me your life, that is far more amusing, don't you think?"

His teeth clenched, and he had to bite back his anger for fear of what she might do to Ashido, "You're insane... Where and when?"

"There is an abandoned shipping yard at the east side of the Saitama Prefecture," She explained, "Be there in four hours, and come alone... If I get even a whiff of the police, or any pro heroes, all you'll find of your friend is a mutilated corpse!"

"I'll be there."

After hanging up, he stared at the device in his hands for a moment. Before finally, he tucked it away, and wiped away the moisture built up around his eyes. Kaiji stepped out of the room, the others looking at him curiously, "So, what's up?" Jiro asked, arms crossed as she leaned against the wall of the room he'd been in.

"Oh uh," Adachi thought as fast as he could, mustering up everything he had to force a semi-believable smile, "My Mom just needs me to swing by the store and pick up some medicine for my Dad, guess some of her cooking made him sick." He explained, releasing a short laugh, "You can head home without me Eijiro." With that, he began pushing past them.

"Alright man." Kirishima nodded, "See you later."

Jiro frowned sadly, watching him walk away forcing that faint smile _,_ _"Adachi..."_

"Today was fun," Kaiji added, stopping for a moment, but unable to look back at them, "It was nice hanging out with you guys... See you around."


	33. Ignite The Flame

**DrakeDragon297: Lol I'm not sure I would say Love juuuust yet, he's doing this for his friend! As for the OVAs, I haven't looked into those yet, but if I like them I certainly could! However, as with most OVAs they're probably not canon, so unless I could find a good spot in the current timeline to slide them into I'd likely be posting them as single, Non-Canon chapters of this story.**

 **VictorsMyName: I know I am evil! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH! But really, I'm so glad we're finally here, I've been sitting on this chapter, and tomorrows for about a week and they are by far my favorite chapters I've written. So I hope you enjoy this one!**

* * *

After lying to get past his friends, and sending a message to his father saying he'd be staying at Kirishima's tonight, Kaiji had boarded a train heading to the Saitama Prefecture. The shuttle was basically empty, it was so late by now that everyone was home. And in this moment, Kaiji felt more alone than he ever had before. He was walking to his death, he knew that, as he walked the empty streets of Saitama after leaving the train behind.

Adachi wished he could turn around, could run home and forget about this. He wished that this nightmare would end, and he'd wake up in his bed. But as he looked up at the stars, passing through what looked like a series of apartment complexes, he knew this was all real...

He knew he was going to die here.

 _"Is this really it?"_ The boy wondered, eyes vacant as he walked, _"I wanted to be a great hero... I knew the risk that would run, I heard all those stories about heroes dying in a blaze of glory... And this is how I'll die?"_ He questioned sadly, _"Not in some epic battle, but at the hands of a maniac, trying to save my friend somewhere nobody will ever see... Alone."_

Melancholy was an easy trap to fall into, and with every step he took, Kaiji could feel it coiling around his heart, sapping his will and courage. All those fears he thought had passed after venting his experience to Kirishima were back in full force, weighing him down like anchors. Pulling him into an abyss. A part of him wanted to turn and run away, go home and pretend he'd never gotten that phone call...

While the rest of him was disgusted that the thought had even crossed his mind.

"Kaiji Adachi..." His eyes darted towards that familiar voice, "Yeah, I almost didn't recognized you but those bandages are a dead give away, what happened this time?"

"Sh-Shinso..." Kaiji muttered, looking at him, "O-Oh uh... It's nothing, what are you doing out here so late?" He asked, letting his mind be taken off the grim deed ahead.

"I live here," He shrugged, hiking a thumb over his shoulder to the apartments before holding up a garbage bag, "I was just taking out the trash... What the hell are _you_ doing out here, and why do you look like someone just killed your dog?"

"I-I just..." Kaiji couldn't bring himself to say it, knowing that any assistance might bring the wrath of Zodiac upon his friend, "I was just heading home..."

"Train station's the other way." Shinso countered, crossing his arms after tossing the trash bag into the dumpster.

"Just... Don't worry about it," Kaiji waved him off, turning to continue walking, "Just forget you ever knew me..."

Kaiji's body suddenly seized up, locking him in place as his mind grew foggy, "Now what kind of stupid request is that?" Shinso asked, walking around in front of him, having placed Kaiji under the influence of his Quirk, "I don't like abusing my power... But you're either about to do something really bad, or really stupid... Probably both... So when I release you, tell me the truth."

Kaiji felt his control over his body return, making him gasp for breath and stumble back. Eyes darting to Shinso, hesitating to speak again. Knowing that the boy could prevent him from going if he didn't like what he heard, "I... If I told you... Someone's life could be in danger," He explained, "Please just... Let me go and forget you saw me here..." He pleaded, trying to push past him.

Adachi stopped, as Shinso placed a hand on his shoulder, "Forget I ever knew you Huh? Hmph, nah, that's not happening," He scoffed, earning a confused look from Kaiji, "You know, ever since I heard more about you, I've kicked myself a lot harder for not making it into the Hero Course... Because you know what? You seem like a guy worth knowing." Kaiji felt a pang of sadness inside of him, a lump forming in his throat, "Adachi, I don't know why you're here... But if you're planning on dying, don't." He ordered, his deep purple eyes glaring into Kaiji's own, "If you've been backed into a corner, Fight."

Adachi's eyes fell to the ground before him, clenching his fists as his body started shaking, "S-Shinso... I-" Before he could finish, a memory flashed through mind. He wasn't sure why, in that moment, this thought came to him.

 _"_ _You're a good kid Kaiji..._ _You have a strong sense of justice and helping others... But remember to take care of yourself, alright? I doubt your friends and family want to be saved if it means you die... I know I wouldn't."_

The boy brought a hand up to his mouth, the tears nearly spilling over, _"Did I really force myself to forget what he'd told me?"_ Memories of that man, his teacher, the one who looked after him and helped him grow this strong.

Darius Krowe...

Had he really repressed those memories? To try and forget what had happened? Adachi took a deep breath, shaking it off and slowly nodded his head as he steeled his resolve, the image of that Monkey's big friendly grin burning in his mind, and a hearty laugh ringing in his ears. "You're right Shinso... Thank you," He finally said, stepping forward and looking back at him, "I don't know if I'll ever see you again... But next time, I want to get to know you better." Kaiji offered a hand to shake, smiling faintly, "Because I think you'd be worth knowing too."

Shinso nodded, shaking his hand firmly, "I'll be waiting..."

 **. . .**

Adachi was still scared, as he reached the shipping yard. Not for himself anymore, for his friend. He knew he would fight, he knew he would do everything in his power to try and save her... The only question, was would it be enough? Kaiji knew he was in no shape for a fight, even if he changed into his beast form things might not go so well. He was exhausted, physically and mentally, and with his ribs still healing the boy knew he'd be at a terrible disadvantage.

But he pressed on nonetheless.

Kaiji passed through an opening left in the old security fence, not really sure where he needed to start looking so he just headed for the center of the yard. Old crates and storage containers were everywhere, giving plenty of places for someone to hide so he kept his guard up. Everything was covered in either rust or dirt, showing off how long this place had been abandoned. In fact, this entire part of the district looked dilapidated, untouched and abandoned.

He was just reaching the center yard, when lights flicked on around him making him stop and shield his eyes, "THERE HE IS!" Her amused voice sent a chill down his spine, "The man of the hour! The big heroic lizard come to save his friend!" Kaiji's eyes slowly adjusted, seeing her atop a crate up ahead, the faintly glowing chrysalis her seat, "What a load of garbage." She finished, eyes narrowing as she spit on the ground below.

"I'm here," Kaiji restrained himself, for the moment, "But I have to know Zodiac... Why me?" He questioned simply, "I understand Darius... He was your nemesis, but why go after me like this?"

Zodiac cocked an eyebrow, before smirking wickedly, "Why? Because I don't like you~" She shrugged, "Because you were close to that bastard Darius, because you got in my way, because you punched me in the face!" She went on, amusement turning to anger in a flash, before shifting back instantly, "And to be more blunt, because I can..." Her eyes flickered with that twisted malice Kaiji had seen in the eyes of a certain other villain before, "But anyways... Lets get this over with." She jumped down from her post, "I want you dead, and I want to get away from that cocoon thing," She hiked a thumb over her shoulder to it, "Its been glowing, pulsing... Its freaking me out."

Kaiji clenched his fists, resisting the urge to charge her right now. But no, he needed to wait for his moment. Fear had begun to claw at his nerves, and he couldn't fight like that. He needed to be sure of himself, he couldn't hesitate, he couldn't question himself, or he'd be dead. "Fine, lets get this over with..."

"Now now, don't worry, I'll make it quick~" She assured, pulling out a short knife, "Just a quick jab in the temple, and you'll be dead~" She purred, slowly approaching the boy. But with every step, she examined his posture more and more, _"Something isn't right... He doesn't look scared, did he bring help? No, he got off the train alone, I saw it... That purple haired kid didn't follow him, but I don't know what he said to him."_ She narrowed her eyes at Kaiji, the boys eyes never faltering, _"Come on, squirm, cry, beg, do something! This won't be any fun if you just stand there, looking tough!"_

"You know Zodiac," She stopped in her tracks, watching closely, "I've got to say... This whole mess really twisted me up," He admitted, "After what you made Darius do, it really shook me, made me question what I was doing, if I even wanted to be a hero if it meant fighting maniacs like you." Kaiji shook his head, his face just barely showing what could be a smile for a brief moment.

"Why are you smiling?" She demanded sharply, glaring at him, _"This is wrong... What is this brat planning!?"_ Sudden paranoia striking her.

Adachi ignored her, "And then you stole my closest friend, told me to come here and walk to my death... I'll admit, that dealt a serious blow to my resolve. And maybe, for awhile there, I had completely given up and resigned myself to this fate... It really doused my spirit, that same fiery spirit that pushed me so far, that fiery spirit that helped me decide what kind of hero I'm going to be."

 _"This isn't how it was supposed to be!"_ Zodiac's hand gripped the knife tightly, clenching her teeth, "The only thing you're going to be is dead, and if you don't shut up your friend dies too!"

Kaiji released a sigh, closing his eyes and shaking his head, "Here's the thing about spirit... Just like fire," He opened his eyes, making Zodiac flinch as they glowed, "It only takes a single Cinder, to reignite an inferno..."

Zodiac stepped back in a brief moment of hesitation, before screaming and lunging at him attempting to stab Kaiji with the knife, "JUST DIE!"

His scales ignited with light, and he brought up a hand to stop her attack, catching her by the wrist. With a sharp twist, she was forced to drop the knife, hissing in pain before Kaiji spun around, throwing her over his shoulder and slamming her into the ground like he'd seen Midoriya do, "Die? No, I can't do that, not yet." Kaiji said sharply, as Zodiac quickly jumped to her feet, growling in anger as she realized he'd repositioned himself so he was between her and the chrysalis, "Because there are people counting on me, friends, family..." His calm look suddenly cracked by a growing smile.

But this wasn't a smile of confidence, some eager battle hungry smirk. And it certainly wasn't the sad smile of a boy accepting his fate. No, in that moment as voices of his friends and family echoed in his mind, despite everything, Kaiji was happy.

 _"I trust you, always have, I know we can do this!"_

 _"I know you're capable of it, so don't let me down."_

 _"Of course, we're all comrades right?"_

 _"You're a real Hero Kaiji, looks like I've got some catching up to do!"_

 _"I couldn't be more proud of you."_

 _"I'm saying... Get your ass in gear! And be a hero!"_

 _"I don't care about the festival, you stupid idiot! I'm just glad you're coming home with us... And that you're okay."_

 _"Young Adachi... You have the makings of a great hero! Seize your dream! And become a LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS!"_

"People who've believed in me, and supported me up to this point," Kaiji went on, fire in his eyes as his scales glowed, "I will save her, and put a STOP to you! That's why I am here!"

 _"Because you know what? You seem like a guy worth knowing."_

In the decisive moment, Adachi found his fighting spirit once again. And despite being weak, tired, and injured, he's drawn a line in the sand. It was here he would either die, or become a real hero...


	34. The Battle That Never Happened

**Dekupapettomasuta: Awww thanks X3**

 **DrakeDragon297: That is some high praise, and I very much appreciate it, thank you so much for enjoying my writing!**

 **VictorsMyName: I love Shinso, he is a very interesting character that I would love to see more of :D**

 **Now then, I am proud and excited to FINALLY bring you this chapter. One I've been sitting on, editing damn near constantly, for the last week. And she is a big one! At almost 6000 words, hope you're ready for the long haul here!**

 **Without further delay, I give you my favorite chapter...**

 **"The Battle That Never Happened"**

* * *

"That's why I am here!"

Zodiac steadied her nerves, eyes glaring at the boy. Watching his scales glowing, and remembering their prior encounters, _"He's pushing his body past the limit to make up for his injuries... He must also realize I'd be faster than him if he transformed, so he doesn't want to risk me going after his friend..."_ She reasoned, the symbols on her body glowing on and off, _"But how far will he push himself? How long can he keep it up?... Doesn't matter."_

"You should have just taken the deal boy," Zodiac scoffed, clenching her fists as she drew on the aspects and powers of her greatest form. Her body glowing with a faint golden aura for a moment, as two familiar curved horns sprouted from the sides of her head, teeth turning to fangs and nails to claws. Most disturbing of all, was the third eye that grew on her forehead, "I would have made your death quick! But now you will BOTH SUFFER!"

Kaiji remained unfazed, eyes never leaving her own even as she changed, "Are you going to talk or fight me?"

"RAAH!" Zodiac roared and charged with blinding speed. Aiming past Kaiji, going for the chrysalis.

But the boy anticipated her target, and met her with his own incredible speed, locking hands and stopping her charge, "You're fighting _me_ now," Kaiji growled, the two struggling to gain ground against one another, "Understand? You can't touch her until I'M DEAD!"

Zodiac threw her knee upward to meet his gut, but Kaiji stopped it with his own knee. Both fighters cringing at the impact of bone, before Kaiji broke the grapple by thrusting his powerful tail forward. Punching her in the stomach with its tip and making her double over as the wind was knocked out of her. He followed up by jumping, thrusting both feet forward and sent her tumbling across the ground with a powerful double kick.

 _"My body is on fire,"_ Kaiji thought, resuming his fighting stance even as his muscles cried out in protest, _"I can't keep this up, I was already so tired... If this goes on too long, I might suffer some permanent dam- No, it doesn't matter, so long as I save Ashido!"_

"Y-You brat..." Zodiac growled, picking herself up, "You've already lost... Don't you understand?" She spat, hair hanging down over her face, "Even if you did defeat me... You've broken the law, using your powers without the authority... You'll be kicked out of that preppy school! You'll NEVER BECOME A HERO!"

Adachi narrowed his eyes, crystals forming along his arms, "A license doesn't make you a hero!" He declared, charging her while the crystals began to store energy, "Your actions, helping others, self sacrifice, just meddling where you don't need to! That is the ESSENCE OF BEING A HERO!"

"HRAAAAGH!" Zodiac roared, opening her mouth and unleashing a torrent of golden and white flames towards her attacker. Kaiji jumped clear over the flames, swinging hard at her with his crystal covered arms aiming for her face. But she avoided it, bending back with incredible flexibility from the Snake. Back flipping away, to gain some distance, before springing towards him with the Rabbits aspect, cocking back her fist and charging it with the power of the Ox.

"COME ON!" Kaiji shouted, throwing his charged fist forward, "DRAGON SLASH!" But on impact, her strength overpowered his. Before his crystals could ignite, they were shattered and he felt the bones in his arm splinter, causing the limb to go limp as he cried out in pain. Before she spun around, delivering a bone crushing kick to his already battered ribs with the aspect of the horse. The blow sent Kaiji slamming into one of the storage crates.

Zodiac panted lightly, her symbols still glowing brightly as she stalked towards him, "Can you feel it boy? Your bravado fading, your heart clenching... Fear~" She sneered, eyes burning into him, "You might have saved her, if you'd just keeled over and died like a good little boy... But no, I'll make sure she dies nice and slow, and I'll make sure she knows its ALL! YOUR! FAULT!"

Adachi was picking himself up and shaking off the daze of the impact as she spoke, _"I need more power, I have to give it everything I've got right now!"_ He decided, clenching his muscles and focusing. Suddenly those same green crystals began to form all over his body, completely coating him in crystalline armor. Once fully protected, the boy rushed forward to meet her head on, pulling more energy from his beast form to speed up the crystals charging, "Try this! EMERALD IMPACT!"

Zodiac hadn't seen what he was capable of at the Sports Festival, so she had no idea what was coming. She foolishly charged in, attempting to simply overpower him as she had done before. But on impact, the Crystals ignited with bright emerald flames, exploding and unleashing a storm of crystal shards. Zodiac release a cry of pain, as both shards and emerald fire lashed at her body. The pillar of flames leaving smoke behind that clouded much from view. And the resounding blast threw Kaiji back, sending him tumbling to a stop across the ground as the power began to leave his body, scales fading in glow as he struggled to pull himself up gripping his broken arm.

 _"I-Is that it?"_ He wondered, looking towards the smoke, _"Did I do it?"_

 **"I am done playing games..."** A deeper, menacing voice sounded, as the form of that great Chinese dragon rose from the smoke. Leaning forward, and looming over him as her scales showed sings of damage and burns from the attack, **"Time for you to DIE!"** She lunged forward, jaws open wide and about to snap him up like a toy, and either devour or crush him!

"You know... Lying to your friends isn't very manly." As her jaws snapped shut, Zodiac instantly recoiled, snarling in pain, feeling like she'd just slammed her teeth together on a hunk of rock! Her eyes darted downward, to the red haired boy standing their, his body jagged from the hardening, "But willing to sacrifice yourself for one... That's pretty much the manliest thing I could think of, so we'll call it even."

 _"NO! He came here alone! I know he did! Where did HE come from!?"_ Zodiac growled in anger, opening her maw she unleashed a torrent of flames. But the fire was intercepted by a sonic blast, blowing away the flames as Zodiac looked towards the source, a girl was approaching as well. Her earphone jack connected to her phone, the sonic wave emitting from the speaker!

"So this is the crazy chick that stole Ashido..." Jiro questioned, looking down at Kaiji who stared up at them in awe, "You certainly know how to pick your enemies..."

 **"GRAAAAH!"** She roared furiously, swinging her tail around to try and sweep them both aside so she could go for Kaiji.

"Coming here alone was foolish... And not trusting your friends was even moreso." A figure enveloped from head to toe in darkness emerged from the nearby shadows, eyes glowing bright yellow as he closed the distance and stopped the tail, blocking it with his arms and extra limbs that formed from the darkness. As Zodiac pulled her tail back, he split from the shadows, revealing his bird like face, "Adachi, you've done more than enough, let us handle this."

"Kirishima... Tokoyami, Jiro..." Kaiji muttered, slowly pulling himself to his feet, "I... How did you guys know to come here?"

"My Quirk lets me pick up on really quiet sounds," Jiro answered simply, placing her hands on her hips, "I knew something was up when you got that phone call, so I listened in... I wasn't sure what to do, so I waited until you'd left the Hospital to tell everyone... I should have said something when you lied to us but, I hesitated, I'm sorry."

"We got here as fast as we could," Kirishima added, "Now we'll take care of this crazy woman."

Kaiji briefly had a flashback, to the fight at the intersection. When the Noumu's were driven back by Darius, Vector and Gryphon. Shaking it off, he shook his head, "No way, I won't let you fight my battle... Not without me." He decided firmly, "I couldn't ask for better friends... So lets finish this, together!" Clenching his teeth, he growled and slowly grew in size. Forcing the transformation, trusting in his allies to make up for his lack of speed. He grew to his massive form, as Tokoyami and Jiro watched in awe, having never seen it before, **"My body is pretty much burned out..."** He growled lowly, startling Jiro with his ability to speak, **"But... I'll support you as best I can, lets GO!"**

 **"You're all DEAD!"** Zodiac roared, voice thundering to the skies above as she charged them in a violent rage.

"Go! I'll cover you guys from a distance and keep Ashido safe!" Jiro assured confidently.

"I'll stand with you," Tokoyami nodded, "Dark Shadow, support Kaiji and Eijiro! Watch that tail of hers!"

"Right!" The phantom being hissed.

"COME ON KAIJI!" Kirishima shouted passionately, running forward alongside him.

 **"HRAAAAGH!"** Kaiji roared, slamming into Zodiac with his shoulder, her claws immediately digging through his scales and drawing blood. Her overwhelming physical strength and Kaiji's exhaustion made clear, as she immediately started pushing him back.

Before he could be completely repelled however, Kirishima dashed up Kaiji's back and launched towards her face, "Take THIS!" He cried, flipping head over heels and slamming his hardened legs down onto her snout, dazing her briefly with the same move Kaiji had used to shatter Todoroki's ice shield during the Sports Festival! "Riot Hammer!" Giving Kaiji the advantage he needed to drive her forward, slamming the dragon into a rusted crate as Kirishima landed on the ground beside him.

But Zodiac attacked like a wild beast, lunging forward out of the dust with her jaws opened wide. Her fangs sank into the space between Kaiji's neck and shoulder. He howled in pain, stumbling back as she unleashed a wave of flames against his scales, burning into him. She refused to let go, trying to force him down to the ground so she could tear at his neck.

Her tail swept in low, aiming to cut out his legs when Dark Shadow intercepted the limb. His power was greatly enhanced because it was so late, and he held back the tail with all his might, snarling angrily at her. The dragon responded, releasing Kaiji from her grip for a brief second, and unleashing a wave of flames at the shadow creature.

"Not so fast!" Jiro shouted, unleashing another sonic blast from a distance. The power increased as her heart raced, blowing away the flames and buffeting Zodiac before the device suddenly sparked, "Oh crap! I blew my phone again!"

But it had given the heroes all the time they needed, Kaiji lunged forward, jaws opened wide as he fired off another wave of flames at point blank. The Dragon roaring in pain, pulling away from him and clambering back across the yard. She was panting for breath, Adachi's blood running from her fangs and claws. While some of her own dripped from her snout thanks to Kirishima's powerful kick. And now, to top it off, her underbelly was covered with burns from those emerald flames.

 **"This... This isn't how it was supposed to be..."** She growled lowly, catching her breath for the moment, as Kaiji, Kirishima and Dark Shadow stood before her, **"You... You should have come here alone... You should be WEAK!"**

 **"No, you're absolutely right..."** Kaiji growled lowly, **"I am weak, I was tired... Exhausted, injured... If our fight had continued I would be dead."** He admitted, eyes darting to Dark Shadow and Kirishima, **"But I'm not alone... I was stupid to think this was just about me, that I had to do this by myself... But I am lucky enough to have friends like these, so I don't have to fight alone..."**

 _"I can't keep up fighting against this many opponents,"_ Zodiac noted, eyes darting between her enemies, _"These damn children... How dare they interfere with my work! But it isn't over, they're tired, I know it."_ She snarled lowly, planning out her next move, _"They work well together, but they're sleep deprived, they've been out just as long as Adachi, they'll start to slip... I just need to target one of the weaker ones to start the fall!"_

Zodiac reared back, and unleashed a mighty swathe of dragon fire once more. This time, the heroes were forced to cover, not having Jiro's power to deflect the flames this time. And as she drenched the abandoned yard with fire, Zodiac made her move. Flying overhead, she descended upon Jiro. Transforming mid flight, back into her human form for speed, she drew back a hand intending to cut her down in an instant with tiger claws, "Time to cull the WEAK!"

"MOVE!" Jiro was pushed out of the way as Tokoyami closed the gap between them. Moving her from the attack, but he was unable to recall Dark Shadow in time to protect himself, as Zodiac's clawed hand sank into his shoulder making him gasp in pain, "Aagh!" As he was forced to the ground.

"Tokoyami!" Jiro gasped, instantly turning on the pair.

"Let him go!" Dark Shadow snarled, charging towards his master.

"Ha! Sure, I'll let him go," Zodiac sneered wickedly, raising her other hand as she used her knees to pin him down, preparing to strike at his neck, "Once I rip out his thro-"

 ***BAM***

"Get off him you BITCH!"

Zodiac was sent tumbling, as Jiro delivered a roundhouse kick to the side of her face freeing Tokoyami. The villain had completely discounted Jiro once her Quirk wasn't of use, not even considering her ability to fight back! The bird faced boy got up slowly, holding his bleeding shoulder, "Thanks for the save..."

"That was a hell of a kick..." Kirishima smirked, eyes resting on Zodiac as she rubbed her jaw, "Come on Kaiji, lets finish this!"

 **"Right."** Adachi nodded, taking a heavy step forward, _"I had no idea Jiro was such a strong fighter, maybe it was something she learned from Deatharms?"_

"You've gotta be kidding me..." Zodiac growled lowly, "I'LL GUT YOU LITTLE GIRL!" She suddenly screamed, charging with fury in her eyes. The exhaustion and injuries were clouding her judgement. Her body racing towards it's physical limit as she pushed herself harder, running on pure adrenaline and rage.

 _"She's attacking like a rabid animal,"_ Kyoka thought, narrowing her eyes as she took the fighting stance Deatharms had shown her, _"But she must be exhausted, her movements are sloppy and off pace!"_ Jiro narrowed her eyes as Zodiac reached her. One clawed hand outstretched as she tried to tear into the young girl. But Jiro made her move quickly, backstepping and brushing the attack aside with a carefully placed hand at Zodiac's wrist, "What? Did you think because I lost my phone I couldn't use my Quirk?" She scoffed, lunging forward as one of her Earphone Jacks plugged into her right forearm, "Lets see how you like this! Sonic SLAM!"

Zodiac's entire body shook as the vibrating forearm of Jiro slammed into her stomach. She could feel a few of her bones give way, as she slid back on her heels, "Gah!" She gasped, blood spurting from her lips as she gripped her side. Jiro also winced in pain, her vibrating limb jarred by her own power. However, without even taking a moment to recover, Zodiac charged like a wild animal. Springing off her heels with the aspect of the rabbit and closing the distance in an instant, "YOU BRAT!" Slashing at her with tiger claws, Jiro cried out in pain taking the attack with her left arm on purpose.

The claws tore into her forearm, it hurt but she didn't back down, "How about a Double Charged Sonic SLAM!" Her other jack connected to her right arm as well. The limb pulsing and vibrating rapidly, she used her left hand to grab Zodiac and yank her forward before slamming the arm into her gut once more.

However the villain sturdied herself with the power of the Ox, managing to brace for the impact and didn't move. Even as the blow sent a shock wave through her very core and shattered what ribs she had remaining. Instead, she threw her head forward, slamming foreheads with Jiro making the girl cry out in pain. A small trickle of blood ran down the young girls face where the skin had split, and she was stunned from the blow. The young girl's arm fell limp at her side, control of the limb totally shot by the intense vibrations focused into it.

But before Zodiac could capitalize on her vulnerable state, she had to jump back to avoid the attack coming from Dark Shadow. The dark creature slashing at her wildly with his claws, "Grah! This thing is so ANNOYING!" She roared, finally backing herself into a corner. But as the beast took another swing, she planted her feet against the metal container behind her and sprung off of it flying past Dark Shadow with incredible speed and aiming for Tokoyami, the boy still nursing his wounded shoulder.

"Hang on Fumikage!" Kirishima shouted, sliding between them with his arms raised. A solid bang resounded as Zodiac's horse powered kick slammed his hardened arms. Before he threw his left fist forward, cracking her hard across the jaw with a solid punch, "Ha! I call that the Red Counter!" The blow sent her stumbling back, right against another contained as she tried to regain her senses.

 **"Good work everyone..."** Kaiji panted, his body starting to weigh heavier as the adrenaline rush wore off. But still, he was amazed by their fighting skills, he had no idea the others had gotten so much stronger too!

Zodiac's eyes darted around rapidly, holding her side as she looked from child to child. They had her against a wall now, surrounding the thoroughly beaten villain. But at the corner of her vision, she caught a glimpse of light, and she suddenly turned. Behind her now, was one final chance, "Maybe I can't beat you brats like this, but I won't let you take me down without taking something of yours first!"

"Hey!" Jiro gasped, seeing as Zodiac made a mad dash for the Chrysalis.

"Dark Shadow! Stop her!" Tokoyami ordered, wincing in pain as he clutched his shoulder.

"On it!"

"He's not fast enough," Kirishima realized, watching the shadow move as his eyes darted to Kaiji, "If you've got any strength left, I have an idea!"

Adachi didn't argue, as Kirishima started to harden his body and give the brief explanation he understood. Lifting him up in his strong, reptilian arms, he cocked back his hands, **"Improvised Team Attack!"** He called out, throwing Kirishima as hard as he could.

"RIOT CANNON!" The passionate red headed hero cried out, blasting towards her at incredible speed thanks to Kaiji's strength.

Zodiac turned her head back to them, hearing the shout just as her claws were about to reach the cocoon. The moment she caught sight of him, it was already too late. As Kirishima slammed into her, knocking her right off the crate and away from Ashido, they smashed into another stack of crates behind it. The tower of rusted metal creaked loudly at the impact, beginning to lean and fall upon the yard.

 **"Everyone move!"** Adachi commanded, rushing forward to help as fast as he could. Jiro helped Tokoyami clear the area, and Kaiji knew Kirishima would be fine with his Quirk. But Ashido's chrysalis could be crushed!

He managed to reach the cocoon just in time, ripping it free of the chains and tucking it under his arms, turning away from the falling debris and shielding it, as rusted metal rained down in a mighty crash that echoed deep into the night. Flooding the yard with dust, blinding the young heroes outside the crash zone from viewing the results of their combined attack.

"Oh come on you guys," Jiro clenched her fist, "You can't pull off a cool move like that and just die immediately!"

 **. . .**

Kaiji grimaced, as he opened his eyes. Feeling a sharp pain in his side, wincing as he tried to gather his barrings. His entire body hurt, likely from the drawn out fighting in his already exhausted state. But he felt something hot running down his side, when he tilted his head to look his breathing hitched from the sharp pain. Maybe it was part of the crate, or a piece of its long forgotten cargo, but now Kaiji had a long, sharp ended broken pipe piercing through his back and coming out his ribs.

 **"D-Dammit..."** He winced, struggling to move as the debris above them threatened to cave inward if he didn't keep holding it up. But suddenly he realized something, how could he see at all? Where was this light coming fr- **"The cocoon!"** He gasped, eyes fixating on the sphere as it pulsed brighter, and faster with each passing second.

 _"Is this it? I-Is she finally going t-"_ A crack appeared along the surface, making Kaiji gasp. It was happening, she would make it out! And once she was free, they could all get out of here together! _"You've sure got dramatic timing Mina..."_

As more and more cracks began to form, the cocoon pulsed faster and brighter! And finally, after only a moment of increasing speed, it split open in the center below him. The sound it made was, rather sick, a wet crackling, followed by the release of a weirdly pungent aroma. And much to Kaiji's relief, the sound of coughing and gasping for breath. But at the same time, as it opened the lights from it vanished, leaving him in darkness.

It was followed however, by the sweetest sound he'd heard in the past week, "K-Kaiji? Why... What are you doing? W-Where are we?"

His excitement was halted for a moment, as he quirked an eyebrow, **"Ashido... You can see me?"** He asked confused. It was pitch black, he couldn't see her at all, there shouldn't have been any way for her to see him either...

"Yeah I... Ugh, my head feels weird... O-Oh my gosh! You're bleeding! You're injured!"

 **"I'll explain everything later,"** Adachi assured, **"But for now... Lets focus on getting out of here,"** He grunted, looking down at his side, **"I need you to melt that pipe, so I can move freely, and push away this debris."**

"R-Right, I will!"

He could hear her moving, wincing as her hands rested on the pipe causing movement that he felt through every inch of metal that was stuck inside of him. A familiar sizzling sounded, as the metal began to break away. And when it snapped, Kaiji sighed in relief, gasping his breath, **"A-Alright... Stay under me for cover."** He ordered, waiting for her to get into place, before he used what strength he had remaining, to push free the metal rubble.

Sounds of metal bending and creaking resounded through the yard, as he broke free the layer of rusted steel. Gasping for breath, as fresh air filled his lungs and light shined down upon them. Though it was only that dim starlight, and whatever was left of the old lights Zodiac had rigged up here.

"Where are we?" Ashido asked, looking around confused, "How did I get here?" Before Kaiji answered, he braced himself and pulled out the remaining pipe in his body. Snarling in pain throughout the ordeal before releasing a relieved breath, a fresh wave of blood gushing from the wound, "Agh! H-Hang on! I'll use some thicker acid to seal that until we can get you some help!" She assured, placing her hand over the wound and started to form her acid, "Wh-What the!?" She stammered, the usually pearly white slime was different, taking on a light pink shade as it melded over Kaiji's wound.

 **"Grr... I-It itches, my skin feels-"** He hesitated, knowing this familiar sensation. It was usually the same feeling that came from his wounds being healed by Recovery Girl! **"A-Ashido, my wound is heal-"** He was then hit with the familiar fatigue, as the hole in his side rapidly closed at the behest of her slime. He fell back on his butt, panting for breath. The wound wasn't completely healed, but the bleeding had stopped and it didn't hurt as badly.

"B-But I don't have healing powers!" She exclaimed fearfully. Kaiji began reverting back to human form, lacking the power to keep his beast form up. It was then, as he looked up at her from his seat on the ground, that he began to realize she looked different.

First off, her eyes had changed. Her normal black with yellow Iris had a strange secondary piece in the center, what would normally be a pupil hole had another iris inside of it, this one a light pink, as if her eyes now had a second lens? And her horn, antennae, things, had grown an inch or two in length as well! Kaiji also noticed some strange objects jutting from her back, but before he could examine further his face flushed deep red.

She was still in her hero costume, but at some point the back had been torn open, causing the front to drop leaving her chest exposed. He quickly looked away out of respect and decency, "Y-You're a bit exposed at the moment Ashido, here!" He pulled part of his shredded shirt off his torso. The garment totally ruined by his transformation, "I-It isn't much..."

"Oh I," She blushed lightly, grabbing it and covering herself, "Thank you... But," Her eyes scanned over his new form as well, "What happened to you?" Aside from his jarring new appearance that she was forced to quickly adjust to, his body was covered in claw marks, fresh bites and wounds. If she wasn't so worried about the effects of her new, healing slime, she might have tried to fix him now...

"Ashido! Adachi!" The voice of Jiro called out, their eyes turning towards her as she ran over. Tokoyami following close behind, "You're okay!"

"Jiro? And Tokoyami?" Ashido still seemed a bit dazed, or rather confused trying to understand what happened, "You're here too?" She noted their injuries as well and frowned, _"What happened while I was out?"_

"Here, this will cover you a lot better." She assured, taking off her jacket and handing it to Ashido, struggling to pull it off over her limp arm.

"Is your arm alright?" Tokoyami questioned, noticing her struggle, "It looks dislocated, broken maybe?"

"Nah," She waved him off with her good hand, as Ashido slipped on the jacket. "When I focus my jacks like that into it too much it kinda leaves my body numb, it'll wear off in a little while... By the way, have you seen Kirishima?" Jiro asked, turning attention back to Kaiji.

Kaiji remembered where he had been, and his eyes widened, "No, not since the impact... Jiro, take Ashido and get to safety, Tokoyami and I will find him." He was exhausted, but he couldn't lose momentum now, not when a friend was still in danger.

"Oh, I'm sorry, is THIS who you're looking for!?" All heads turned, as Zodiac stood atop the pile of scrap holding what appeared to be an unconscious Kirishima by the hair. But it was clear Zodiac was on her last legs as well, body heavily injured from the attack and blood seeping from a few wounds.

"Wh-Who is that?" Ashido asked fearfully.

"Let him go!" Kaiji ordered, growling as he stepped forward. But the moment he did, she raised her claws to his neck.

"Ah ah ah~" She smirked wickedly down at the frozen students, "One wrong move and he's dead..."

 _"Dammit!"_ Kaiji clenched his fists tightly, heart racing, _"How is she even still standing!? What is this crazy woman made of!?_ "

"Oh who am I kidding," Zodiac snickered, "I'm just going to kill you all anyways, might as well start with this one!"

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" Kaiji demanded, taking a step forward to attack when his muscles gave out, making him fall to one knee, "G-Guys we have to do something!"

"Dark Shadow GO!" Tokoyami ordered, the dark creature lunging forward.

But before he had even cross half the distance, a new voice rang out, "Geez you guys are noisy." All eyes turned to the source, even Zodiac hesitating for a moment as she looked on the newcomer.

Her wicked eyes narrowed in annoyance, "Oh great, more reinforcements, and who the HELL are you supposed to be!?" She demanded.

"Hitoshi Shinso," He answered simply with a bored, tired look on his face, "Who are you?"

"Who am I!?" She scoffed, "I'll tell you! I am the Zodi-" Her words hitched, eyes going blank as Shinso's Quirk kicked in.

Kaiji stood dumbfounded, along with everyone else, as Shinso barked a few orders and Zodiac climbed down willingly, carrying Kirishima and dumping him at their feet, "Sh-Shinso I-"

"Save it," He held up a hand, smirking faintly as he looked across the group of awed heroes, "What? You think brute force is the only way to handle villains? Sheesh, how you guys survive in the Hero Course is beyond me..."

As Ashido knelt down, and looked over Kirishima for injuries, Jiro sighed and slouched her shoulders, "So is that it? Did we win? We got her and we can take her in now and go home?"

It was then, that a familiar shade emerged nearby, taking the shape of a man wearing his bartender attire, "I'm afraid it is not that simple, children..."

"K-Kurogiri!" Kaiji gasped, all eyes turning to him, _"Oh no... If he's here, he could warp in more villains! We're already at our limits here, if he starts doing that we're screwed!"_ He realized, eyes wide with fear.

"If your business with my associate is over," He continued in a formal, yet sinister tone, "I'll be taking her with me now..."

"Were you watching us this entire time?" Tokoyami questioned, keen eyes scanning the area for any funny business or more hidden enemies.

"But of course..."

Jiro quirked an eyebrow, "What? Th-Then why didn't you help Zodiac? Why let us beat her?"

"Yeah," Shinso added, already getting to work, "And why-"

"I know your Quirk, boy." Kurogiri interrupted, narrowing his eyes, "If you try to ask a question, I'll warp you a mile above the city, so keep your mouth shut... As for your question," He turned his glowing yellow eyes back to Jiro, "Because this was not a mission ordered by my Master, and I am far too valuable a member of the League to lose... As much as I would have loved to tear you apart, I must follows my orders to the letter... The Master saw fit, to use this defeat to teach her a lesson in humility." He explained simply, "Now, hand her over, and we may forget this abysmal experience..."

"N-No way!" Ashido barked, "I-I don't really know everything that's going on, b-but she's a villain! We can't just release her!"

"Oh?" He questioned, a smirk of amusement forming beneath his fog, "And what will you promising young UA students do? Take her to the police, let them know you acted as vigilantes, without authority to apprehend someone, and submit to their judgement on your law breaking?"

Kaiji realized what he was getting at, and Tokoyami seemed to understand as well, "If we were to turn her in, we would be reprimanded for misusing our Quirks..." The bird faced student grumbled.

"Wh-What!?" Ashido exclaimed in disbelief.

"Quite a predicament..." Kurogiri replied sarcastically, "You either turn her over to me, or lose your chance at becoming licensed heroes..."

Ashido's heart sank, looking around at the conflicted faces of her friends, "B-But you all look like you worked so hard... W-We can't just-"

"No, he's absolutely right." Kaiji finally said, releasing a sigh and shaking his head, "We all committed a crime, and misused our Quirks here tonight," He looked back at Shinso, nodding his head, the purple haired boy sighed heavily, "Take her..."

"Go to him." Shinso said simply, not wanting to incur Kurogiri's wrath, the currently mind controlled Zodiac obediently walked to her ally.

"Man this sucks..." Jiro grumbled.

"Good," He answered, letting a small bit of relief sink into his voice, "Now go, begone you foolish children... Await your day of reckoning, when my Master is ready to overturn this broken society..." His warp gate began to form, and he pushed the woman through.

"Hey!" Kaiji spoke up suddenly, earning a return glance from Kurogiri, "Make sure she knows, that from now on, if she wants to come after me... Or any of us! She has to deal with all of us, no more messing around with friends or family, its between us and her now!"

"Hmph... I will be sure to pass that on... Enjoy your peace, while it lasts."

With that, Kurogiri vanished into his Warp Gate, leaving them alone in the completely wrecked storage yard. They remained silent for a few moments, digesting what had just happened. Before Kaiji shot his purple haired friend a faint, nervous smile, "So uh... Shinso, you got any guest rooms?"

He looked at Kaiji with a small amount of amusement on his face, before sighing heavily, "No guest rooms, but the living room is pretty big... I'll make up the couch."


	35. Pact Among Friends

**This will be the final chapter for some time, so maybe consider it a kind of season finale. I'll be waiting until I either have time to read the manga or for more of the show to be released before I continue. Hope you all have a wonderful life and can hang on during the Hiatus!**

 **SpaceBabe69 Signing off for a little while!**

* * *

It was still early Sunday morning in the Saitama Prefecture. In Shinso's apartment, he had a living room full of blankets, pillows, and a number of passed out UA Students spread across the couch and floor. Luckily his parents were gone for the weekend, how convenient. The purple haired boy shook his head, as he maneuvered around them to his kitchen, intent on making some coffee to wake himself up when he noticed that somebody was missing. Turning towards the door, he noticed a pair of shoes were gone as well. The boy sighed heavily and decided to investigate.

Stepping outside, he walked around to the back of the apartment complex. Spotting the missing student and blinking in surprise, seeing that she had two new, unfolded limbs growing from her back. Before him, stood Ashido, who was slowly flapping a pair of insectoid, moth-like wing. They were fuzzy, pink, with black outlines running through them, with a large wingspan of at least seven or eight feet when fully spread. "Damn, don't remember you having those during the Sports Festival..." He said aloud, announcing his presence.

"Agh!" Ashido yelped, turning around and covering her chest with Jiro's jacket, "O-Oh hey Shinso... Yeah uh, suddenly finding out a lot of things changed in that cocoon..." She sighed heavily, her wings slowly folding down. They wrapped around her sides beneath her arms and covered her chest, surprisingly tight against her skin. Once they had finished, she put the jacket on over them, "And I still don't know what happened with that Zodiac lady... Why everyone was out here, why she took me..."

Shinso scratched the back of his neck, "Well, I could give you run down... At least, what I know about it." He shrugged, "They'll have more details, but they might not give you everything... Not wanting them to think this mess was your fault."

Ashido blinked, "Wait... Was it my fault!?"

"Eh, maybe?" He shrugged casually, "Like I said, I don't know all the details... Here's what I know," Shinso started, lowering his hands and stuffing them in his pockets, "Through the news, I heard about some bad stuff that went down in the Dokuga District... Involving the return of some mad villain named Zodiac."

"Dokuga," Ashido repeated, "But, that's where Kaiji was-"

"Supposedly, they stopped her from killing the big heroes son," Shinso continued, ignoring her interruption, "However, this wasn't before one of his Sidekicks was badly injured, and in a fit of anger the big star pro hero down there went hulk on one of those mutant villains like the one from the USJ and the recent Hosu incident."

Ashido stiffened, _"N-Noumu..."_

"Now, I'm not too sure what happened between then and last night..." The purple haired boy sighed, shaking his head, "But Adachi came through here, looking like a doomed man... At the time, he was alone, and when I spoke to him he wouldn't tell me the real reason he was out here... Even after I tried forcing him, he wouldn't tell me." Shinso shrugged, "But honestly, he had a look like he knew he was going to die."

Ashido brought a hand up, covering her mouth as she shook, trying to process the idea that she might have been used by a villain to get at her friend. After remembering how her stubbornness had put her in that cocoon in the first place. She wouldn't ever be able to forgive herself if she caused one of her friend to-

"But, what matters," Shinso continued, interrupting her thoughts before they could go too far, "Is that he chose to fight... And everyone is alive," He put more emphasis on that part, looking at her expectantly, "So if I were you, I'd not look a gift horse in the mouth, and accept things as they are."

The young pink hero stared at him for a moment, before nodding her head, "Y-Yeah... I guess you're right, no use worrying about what might have happened." She smiled faintly, walking past him to head back inside, before stopping and looking back at him, "And Shinso... Thanks, you really saved our butts." She laughed lightly, "I hope you do make it into our class some day, you'd make a great hero!"

Shinso hid the swelling of pride within his chest behind a small smile, rubbing the back of his head, "You think so huh? Heh... I'll keep that in mind."

 **. . .**

When the two headed back inside, they were surprised to find Kaiji at the door working on putting his shoes on. Struggling, as his wounds still hadn't completely healed, "Oh, you're both here..." He muttered, sounding relieved as he looked up at them, "I was just- well... Nevermind." He kicked his shoes off, "The others are starting to wake up... Figured we might as well head home soon here, before our parents find out we spent the night in another district." He chuckled.

"Yeah, about this whole mess..." Shinso began, about to continue when he noticed the rather... Uncomfortable air between the two young heroes. He sighed shaking his head, "Alright, both of you outside." He ordered, hiking a thumb over his shoulder, "I don't do the beating around the bush crap, so say whatever's on your mind, privately if you have to, and I'll get everyone up..."

Adachi nervously looked down, "W-Well... Might as well listen before he forces us out." He laughed nervously, Ashido nodding as the two stepped outside. Though, rather than standing in front of the apartment complex, they walked around to the small park out back. Both remaining silent, as they tried to think of what to say, Kaiji wondering how he would explain everything that had happened. "S-So uh... The cocoon," He decided to start on a lighter note, "How was that?"

The bluntness of it earned a short laugh from her, "It was... Really dark, and quiet... It wasn't until the end that I actually heard anything from the outside."

"Have you... Figured out anything else about your body?" He asked curiously, "Like that weird healing salve?"

"Oh yeah," Ashido beamed, beginning to pull open her jacket, "I've got these wings now and-"

"I-I'LL TAKE YOUR WORD FOR IT!" Kaiji exclaimed, frantically looking away with a blush before wincing in pain at the quick movement, "Tsss! Ow ow ow..." He groaned, holding his side.

"Oh geez, here let me take a look at that..." Ashido frowned as she approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "See if I can't put this new power to use huh?"

"I... Yeah, alright, good idea." Kaiji nodded his head after a moments thought, "The less injuries I return home with the better..." He added, pulling his shirt off over his head with a bit of strain.

Giving Ashido plenty of time see his new muscular form, eyes fixated on his abs for a brief moment, "My god you could grind meat on tho-" She stopped herself before more could slip out.

"What was that?" He questioned, finally getting the shirt off.

Before she could come up with a hasty explanation to brush it off, her eyes widened, "Oh no... Kaiji..." She muttered, seeing the various scars remaining from his fight with Zodiac. A bite mark on his neck, where she had sunk in her fangs, the remnants of lacerations from her claws along his ribs and back, and to top it off was the darker patch of his skin where the pipe had pierced his body.

He looked down at his form, sighing heavily and shaking his head, "Its fine, scars are cool right?" The boy laughed it off like he always did, taking a seat on a nearby bench, "Lets uh... Get this taken care of and get back inside."

Ashido nodded, walking around to his back and working up some of that pinkish slime once more. She tried not to use as much as before, considering what remained of his wounds wasn't too bad. She pressed her palm against the bite marks on his neck, Kaiji wincing a bit as the skin slowly mended, "So what happened to you?" Ashido couldn't help but ask, now getting a more thorough look at his body while sealing his wounds, "You look so... Different."

"At my internship... The Pro I worked with had a Quirk like mine." He explained, wincing before feeling slight relief wherever she applied her salve, "Its kinda hard to explain, but basically... I put my second, and first form together, to create a better body capable of handling more of beast forms strength without transforming." Kaiji stated, sighing in relief as the remnants of the pipe wound were sealed, "I can use that energy to super charge my muscles in this form, making me faster and stronger than before, its... Incredible, really, I probably wouldn't have survived Zodiac without-" He gasped suddenly, grabbing her wrist before she could pull it away, "Ashido, you hands..."

"Yeah," She muttered, not trying to pull her hand away as he examined it. The once pink skin of her palms had been been turned to a dark, burgundy red like Todoroki's left eye, "I got burned pretty bad before I ended up in that cocoon... I guess it kept me alive but didn't heal me up." Ashido shrugged, Kaiji releasing her hand slowly, "I've got a few bad burn scars on my back and side as well..."

Adachi sighed heavily, standing up and pulling his shirt back on over his new scars, "I guess UA has taken quite a toll on us both huh?"

"I guess so..." Ashido nodded her head, looking at her hands briefly, before finally mustering the courage, "Kaiji, I... Shinso told me not to bother but, I need to know," She took a deep breath, and looked up into his eyes, "Were you planning to die out there for me?"

Kaiji looked like she'd smacked him across the face with that question, hesitating for a few moments, _"What do I tell her? How am I supposed to answer that?"_ He wondered, _"Yeah Ashido, you're my best friend, I'd die for you, I'd die for Kirishima too... No, she's been through enough, I can't let her hang onto my near death..."_

Like many times before, Adachi put on a friendly smile, "All that matters is everyone is okay, and we can all go home together."

"Kaiji..." She began, before strangely a wave of relief passed over her. Like somehow, hearing that Kaiji himself didn't linger on it put her... At ease, "I... I guess you're right." She smiled softly, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a tight hug, "I'm just glad everyone is okay..."

Kaiji blushed lightly, patting her back as she squeezed tighter, smirking as he realized what she was trying to do, "Not gonna work, I'm not scrawny enough to be crushed by you anymore." Kaiji remarked smugly.

Ashido released him after a moment, pouting with her hands on her hips, "Guess that just means I've gotta get stronger!"

 **. . .**

When Zodiac was finally able to open her eyes, she could feel herself hooked up to various medical machine. She was in some kind of bed, but not in a hospital, the darker atmosphere told her that. Instantly, she remembered what had occurred, and tried to get up. But her body refused to respond, despite her attempts, she couldn't move a single muscle!

"One of our members has placed your body in paralysis." Came the familiar voice of Kurogiri from her bedside, "You won't be able to move anything but your mouth..."

Her eyes darted to him, narrowing sharply, "Where is that Angel freak? Get me healed, so I can finish what I started!" She demanded sharply.

"You will do no such thing." He replied harshly, "I've really stuck my neck out for you Kasumi... The master was merciful enough to make a long and slow recovery your only punishment, you should be grateful that he thinks you can still be a use."

Zodiac glared at him for a moment, before her eyes returned to the ceiling, "Tch, fine... But I will get my revenge on those brats, some day... They just surprised me, next time they won't get so lucky..."

"Of course..." Kurogiri answered calmly, internally sighing as he looked over her body. Kasumi couldn't see it, but her entire form was covered in various bandages, with incredibly advanced medical equipment stabilizing her, _"She either doesn't realize how close she came to dying... Or she doesn't care... Those children were incredibly powerful, I can't let her face them alone again..."_

"So," Kasumi grumbled, shooting him another glance, "Why are you still here? Did the big boss tell you to make sure I don't go anywhere?"

"I had the day off today," Kurogiri answered simply, leaning back in his chair, "I was planning to take you out to dinner but... I doubt you could make the trip anymore."

That actually earned him a small smile from Zodiac, "Still a charmer I see..."

 **. . .**

"Good, you're back." Shinso greeted as Kaiji and Ashido walked in, the table in his kitchen was surrounded by chairs as everyone stood or sat waiting, "We've been talking over what happens now... About what happened last night."

"What do you mean?" Ashido asked, cocking an eyebrow as she took to her own chair, as did Kaiji.

"What that Villain said last night is completely right," Tokoyami explained, leaning back with his arms crossed, "Technically speaking, we committed a crime of Quirk misuse when we fought Zodiac... If we want to maintain our place at school, we'll have to keep it a secret."

"Its not very heroic," Kirishima sighed, scratching his head and working the sleep out of his red hair, "But we couldn't expect any kind of leniency from the police at this point, considering we didn't even bring her in..."

"So that leaves us with two things to cover," Tokoyami continued, "Where we were last night, and how Ashido escaped."

"That's right." Jiro realized, "All those heroes and police were combing the area for Zodiac after she took you, and she is such a high profile villain, there's no way they would believe you defeated her and escaped."

"I think I can cover that," Shinso cut in, leaning against the kitchen counter, "I swung by the abandoned yard before you guys woke up, aside from a few scorched weeds, there really isn't much sign of a fight... In fact, I couldn't even find any remains of your cocoon Pinky." He shrugged, "There was a thunderstorm over the Inaba Prefecture last night, the district between here and where you were taken from... One might believe she was forced to drop you, thanks to all those turbulent winds, and lightning."

Adachi nodded his head, "That sounds perfect... You're really smart Shinso, though it might be more accurate to say devious." He joked.

"Yeah," Mina chuckled, "But that works, I'll go along with that plan."

"As for the rest of us," Tokoyami continued, "Our disappearance couldn't have gone unnoticed, I'm sure we all had some story to explain to our parents... We just need to make sure they match up."

"Uh oh..." Kaiji blinked, before face palming, "I told my parents I'd be staying at your place Kirishima..."

The red headed young hero grinned, "No problem at all Kaiji, I told my Mom I was taking you to Tetsutetsu's for training," He explained, "I already had plans with him, but wouldn't you know it, we missed our train switch on the way." He shrugged, "Such rotten luck, forced us to stay in a hotel for the night, darn."

"Good, if you've all got your stories straight, we're done here." Shinso nodded, sighing and scratching the back of his neck, "Guess I can finally get some sleep..."

"Thank you Shinso," Kaiji nodded, getting to his feet, while Ashido started asking Tokoyami about fixing up his shoulder, Jiro chiming in with her arm injury as well, "You really saved us..."

Jiro smirked as she kicked back in her chair while waiting her turn to get healed, "That was pretty hardcore, what we did... We're like a band of vigilantes, with this secret between us... And we did make a pretty good team." She added, "I wouldn't mind fighting with you guys again."

"Yeah me either." Kirishima grinned, "Not that I want to break laws anymore... But we could benefit from some training together."

"Sounds good to me." Kaiji laughed lightly, "You in Shinso?"

"Huh?" The purple haired boy blinked in surprise.

"Of course," Tokoyami nodded in agreement, as Ashido patched up his shoulder, "You played a pivotal role in all this, I would even go as far as to say you saved the day..."

"Yeah," Jiro agreed, getting to her feet, "You might not be in the hero courses, but we could totally help you train to get better physically, you've already got the amazing Quirk and the brains for it!"

Kaiji blinked, for a brief second, he could have swore he saw something else in Shinso's eyes. Like some small flicker of joy, excitement, relief maybe? Before he hid it away again, taking up his usual calm and casual tone, "Yeah... I think I'd like that."

After the long, dark night, the sun rose high into the sky. And the young heroes survived evil once again...

But more than that, they'd formed strong bonds through battle. Forged in fire, their small group was ready to fight for one another, and their friends. Bound together by what they faced, and the secret they had to keep, they proved that no matter what they would stand by each others side, and fight for one another. Like after the USJ, these students had changed. Putting their lives on the line for their classmates, comrades... Friends.

Things would be different between them now. But all they cared about, was that they could all go home now, together...

Well, except for Ashido, who would need to take a long train hop through the Inaba District to make her story more believable, and was likely not going to get home until several hours after everyone else.

But that is... A far less interesting story.


	36. Welcome Back!

**Welcome back everyone :D**

 **I know its been a long wait, but now that I've got things a bit sorted I'm ready to finish off the season so to speak, with a short character arc and the final exams!**

 **I've made you wait long enough so no more stalling! Lets kick off this next arc!**

* * *

"So... You're the new one that the Master is letting live," The wild eyed villain noted, as he looked over Kasumi's broken body, "You don't look so special..."

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Well its a good thing I'm not here for you approval." Kasumi scoffed, "Hmph, I've seen your face before, so to speak... You were in the news, after attacking UA... Tagua, and you had something to do with the Hero Killer didn't you?"

Shigaraki clenched his fist tightly for a moment at the mention of the Hero Killer, before releasing his grip, "That's right... I'm somewhat of, a leader in the League of Villains, the Master lets me carry out missions I want..."

 _"The teachers pet, it would seem."_ Kasumi thought, but given her state decided not to say it, "Well, I look forward to working with you," She said with mild sarcasm, "Once I'm healed, that is."

"Yes, I heard you had a nasty run in with a certain group of brats." Shigaraki narrowed his eyes sharply, "And you've got a real murder craze over one of them..."

The way he spoke about it, Kasumi could sense some level of contempt in villains voice, "Yes... Kaiji Adachi... You know him?"

"Let's just say, you aren't the first person he's irritated." Shigaraki grumbled, crossing his arms, "Forget about that brat, we'll take care of him if he gets in the way of our real plans... And I promise you, when that happens, I'll help you tear him apart myself!"

Kasumi managed a painful smirk as she looked up at him, "I think you and I are going to get along just fine..."

 **. . .**

"BWAAHAHAHAHAHA! WHAT THE HECK BAKUGO!?"

The casual banter of early morning class was shattered by Kirishima and Sero's laughter, as Bakugo entered. Kaiji himself was somewhat surprised, seeing his normally wild, spiky hair was now combed down and well kept. Though, he decided to keep it to himself. Deciding to not also become a target for Bakugo's rage, he simply leaned back and took in the school atmosphere. Everyone was so cheery, talking among themselves eagerly about their internships. It was nice to know not everyone had as messed up a time as he did.

"But you know who really changed?" Kaminari's voice cut in through Kaiji's thoughts, "Those three!"

Kaiji followed his gaze to Midoriya, Iida and Todoroki, _"That's right, they were attacked by the Hero Killer himself... And got saved by Endeavor... That must have been terrifying."_

"Yeah," Eijiro chimed in, "I heard about what happened, I'm glad you guys are alright."

"I was worried too..." Yaoyorozu nodded with a frown.

"You guys were lucky that Endeavor was there," Ojiro added, "I can't imagine what would have happened if he wasn't there..."

Hagakure butted in right after him, "But that's just what I'd expect from the Number Two hero!"

 _"Huh?"_ Kaiji quirked an eyebrow, noting a moment of... Hesitation? On Todoroki's face.

"Yep... He sure saved us." The white haired boy said calmly, Midoriya and Iida nodding with approving smiles.

 _"What the heck was that?"_ Kaiji questioned confused, seeming to be the only one that noticed the strange exchange.

"But we weren't the only ones in trouble," Midoriya spoke up, seeming to notice that all attention was one them, "I was really worried about you Ashido, I heard what happened with the fire, and then you got captured by that crazy villain?"

"That's right," Sero added, looking towards her as well, "Wish I'd been there, I could have helped."

"I'd only just left," Sato said, crossing his arms, "If Uraraka and I had been there we totally could have helped!"

"Its fine really," Mina nervously laughed, "I got lucky, and everyone is okay, so lets not dwell on it right?"

Luckily, before more questions could be asked pressing the subject, the door opened and Mr. Aizawa stepped in. Silencing the students and forcing everyone back to their seats. Kaiji couldn't help but release a sigh of relief, eyes scanning across his fellow classmates. Sharing looks with Jiro, Eijiro and Tokoyami. The four nodding to one another, making Kaiji smirk faintly, before class finally got under way.

 **. . .**

" **I** am here! I hope you're ready to return to our lessons!" All Might stood before the class with a big grin as usual. It was hours after the day started, and after lunch the class was told to suit up and head outside. They were at the entrance to another training facility, this one looking far more industrial, "Today it's Hero Basic Training, feels like I haven't seen you in awhile! Welcome back!" He greeted, his disposition just emanating excitement and enthusiasm, "Now then... Listen carefully for what's in store! We're going to be conducting a little race, take what you might have learned from your Internships and apply it to this rescue training." He instructed, holding up a finger.

"Sir," Iida raised a bandaged arm, he wasn't in costume because of the injuries he'd sustained from the Hero Killer, "If this is rescue training shouldn't we be at the USJ?"

"Ah, that place specializes in disasters," All Might explained, "But as I said, this is a race! So, PREPARE! You'll be stepping into Field Gamma! Inside you'll find an area full of factories that form an intricate labyrinth! So good luck finding your way around... You'll be competing in three groups of five and one of six," He went on, going over a paper he had on hand, "Starting on the outskirts of the model city, I'll be hiding somewhere inside and release a distress signal when we begin, the first Hero to reach me wins!" All Might raised a pointed finger, slowly bringing it down, "Do whatever it takes to reach me first! But do try to keep the property damage a minimum please..."

Kaiji stifled a chuckle, as the pointing finger landed on Bakugo, "Why are you pointing at me?" He grumbled in annoyance.

"Alright! First group, get to your places!" All Might continued, after reading off the group listings.

Kaiji watched the screen with the other students intently, ready to see what anyone else might have learned. _"Midoriya, Iida, Ashido, Ojiro and Sero... It would seem like everyone here has good mobility aside from Ashido and Midoriya."_ He reasoned, looking to the other students, _"But none of them know about Ashido's new abilities, except maybe the other girls from the locker room... It'll be interesting to see how this plays out, but even with Midoriya's incredible strength he's at a huge disadvantage here."_

"Everyone ready? BEGIN!"

As the horn sounded, most of the classes thoughts were validated as Sero took off from the ground. Using his tape ability to swing high over everyone and move quickly, while Ojiro swung around by his tail, and Iida blasted away with his engines. Meanwhile, Ashido was sliding along the pipes using her acid slime, surprising Kaiji.

"Geez look at him go!" Kirishima exclaimed as he watched Sero, "Of course it'd be easier to just stay above everything!"

"Which means Sero's at a huge advantage because he can take to the skies." Shoji added, crossing his arms as he watched.

But Sero's lead was short lived, as a green flash blew by. Kaiji's eyes widened, as Midoriya took the lead! "Woah! M-Midoriya!?" He exclaimed in surprise.

"Since when can he do that!?" Kaminari questioned.

"Those moves..." Uraraka muttered as she watched, "He's flying around... Just like..."

Kaiji understood what she was saying, remembering seeing how he moved during the Sports Festival. And as he looked to the light haired boy, he could tell Katsuki Bakugo was not happy about Midoriya's new advancements, _"That guy really needs to learn to calm down..."_

Ashido herself gasped as Midoriya flew by her, she was almost to the top of a building, using her acid to climb by creating holes to grab onto with her hands and feet, "No way... Since when can he do that!?" She exclaimed, narrowing her eyes, "Alright... Looks like I don't have much choice, if I wanna win this!" She pulled herself up over the side and onto the roof. Running towards the far edge while the students watched.

"What's she doing?" Mineta asked, "Is she gonna jump!?"

Kaiji smirked, _"Yeah she is..."_

"HYAAAGH!" Ashido cried, leaping from the side of the building, as the students cried out in shock. Well, most of them anyways, a certain few knew all about her new powers. A flap on the back of her costume opened, and she let her wings spread wide! Startling everyone as she began flying! Using her dive from the building to create momentum before pulling up and gliding on the wind, racing past the green haired boy.

"A-Ashido can fly!?" Midoriya blurted in shock, distracted from his landing, his foot slipped and he fell from the pipe, "Agh!"

"Haha!" Ashido beamed, flying fast towards the center point, and touching down before All Might, a few flaps slowing her descent before she landed, "I WIN!"

Sero landed a split second later, "Man I was so close," He sighed shaking his head, "Since when can you fly though Ashido?"

"Heh, its a long story." She laughed nervously, as Ojiro, Iida and Midoriya arrived moments later.

"Congratulations!" All Might beamed, holding out a ribbon for Ashido who accepted it eagerly, "Young Ashido may have won, but you've all shown great improvement since your training began! Keeping working and preparing for your upcoming final exam!"

"Yes sir!" Everyone nodded, before beginning to clear the field.

Kaiji noticed All Might walk over to Midoriya, they shared a few words before he walked off. And started calling the next group up to the training area. It was his turn now, so he made his way inside along with the others. It looked like he'd be up against Jiro, Shoji, Bakugo and Asui. He narrowed his eyes slightly at Bakugo, noting the frustrated, aggressive look on his face, having a bad feeling as he proceeded inside...

 **. . .**

When the horn sounded, Kaiji took off with his new speed. Keeping an eye out for the others as they all raced towards the point. Unlike the first round the signal was coming from a focal point further north in the facility. It seemed like the were all going to get funneled towards it from the same angle. It was strange, were they meant to try and get in each others way? Or was the point going to change randomly after each race?

The sudden sounds of familiar explosions told him Bakugo was nearby. Narrowing his eyes, he pushed on harder. His scales glowing brighter as he increased his speed, jumping over a rooftop and landing on a long pipeline, racing on ahead. As he continued, he saw the form of Bakugo flying through the air propelled by his explosions.

But there was something different about him now, his movements seemed less precise. More wild and unfocused, landing on another row of pipes and breaking into a sprint, _"Is he still upset after seeing Midoriya?"_ Kaiji wondered, steadily catching up with his own impressive speed. It was then that he noticed Bakugo had some competition for first, Asui taking up the right flank and covering incredible distances with her jumps. And suddenly from below, a burst of dust erupted, and Jiro came flying up over the pipes as well.

"J-Jiro!?" Kaiji exclaimed in surprise, seeing her Earphone jacks plugged into her legs. Though, they weren't connecting to the amps, they were connected directly to her legs, like she'd used against Zodiac, _"She's generating more force through her legs to create long jumps, that's smart."_ Adachi realized, but he felt like he was forgetting something about that power.

"Ha ha!" Jiro laughed, blasting herself forward again with another sonic burst from her legs, "Looks like I'm catching up Bakugo!" She said eagerly, a sense of pride filling her, _"I'm doing it! I got stronger, and I'm actually competing with Bakugo! He's like the strongest in the whole class!"_ She thought with amazement, "Did you lose your touch after the festival!?"

"Grr... Shut it ear freak!" Katsuki barked at her, blasting himself ahead to gain more distance. As he did so, Kaiji noticed his breathing was getting ragged. He was pushing himself too much, overusing his Quirk.

 _"That must be why he switched to running instead of flying!"_ Kaiji realized, pushing to keep up.

"Yeah well this Ear Freak just took the lead!" Jiro was beaming, the first time she'd actually gotten ahead so much in training. She was coming down from her long jump, landing far ahead of Bakugo. But before she touched down, her eyes widened, _"Oh crap! My legs!"_ Just like before in the shipping yard, she had overused her Quirk on her own muscles. The intense vibrations had made her legs go numb! "Crap crap crap! AGH!" She cried in pain, hitting the pipes the wrong way with her ankles. Her left leg bent the wrong way, definitely broken. But that wasn't the end of it, without her feet, she was falling from the pipe!

And it was a long way down...

"JIRO!" Adachi cried out, too far away to catch her.

"B-Bakugo HELP!" She cried out, trying to reach him with her earphone jacks stretching out.

"Tch, if you can't control your Quirk that's YOUR PROBLEM!" Bakugo shouted, swatting away her jacks and blasting himself forward.

"BAKUGO!" Kaiji exclaimed in shock at his actions.

"Hey!" Jiro shouted after him, "GAH!" Anything else she might say was cut off, as Jiro hit a thinner pipe with her side. Knocking the wind out of her before she continued falling.

"Hang on!" Before she could hit the ground, a long pink tongue wrapped around her, catching her just in time, "I've got you!" Asui assured, jumping down nearby to check her over.

"Tch, with that stupid frog distracted there's no way I don't get there first." Bakugo sneered, pushing forward, "She should have worried more about herself than that los-"

Bakugo was cut off dead in his tracks, as Kaiji slammed down in front of him scales glowing. He'd overcharged his muscles momentarily to catch up, "What the hell was that all about Bakugo?" He demanded sharply.

Katsuki glared daggers at him, "If you know what's good for you, you'll get out of my way."

"She could be seriously injured, don't you care at all?" Kaiji questioned, clenching his fists, "What kind of a hero ignores saving people huh!?"

"I've got no time for you weakling!" Bakugo roared, blasting into the air with his Quirk and trying to bypass him.

But Kaiji intercepted, leaping into the air to meet him. The boy was surprised, not expecting this kind of mobility from him. Which made sense, nobody else had seen what Kaiji could do in his new form just yet, "You think you're so much better than everyone Bakugo? You may be talented but you're the poorest excuse for a hero I've ever seen!"

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Bakugo roared, thrusting both hands forward and unleashing a blast at Kaiji. The boy brought up both hands, covering his face as he was blasted. It stung, but he didn't budge, lunging forward through the cloud and throwing a punch at Bakugo. But the boys reaction time was too good, dodging it by moving himself with a blast. "GAH!" Luckily that was exactly what Kaiji predicted, striking with his tail and nailing Bakugo right in the ribs. The two landed a few feet away from one another on the pipes, Kaiji slightly burned and Bakugo gripping his stomach.

Just as it looked like the fight would continue, an alarm sounded, "We have a winner!" All Might's voice sounded. Kaiji and Bakugo both looked towards the end point, it had been in sight for some time now. Standing atop it with All Might was Shoji, holding the ribbon. But in an instant, All Might vanished with his incredible speed, "Are you all right?" His voice came from down below, as he looked over Jiro with Asui.

"Ngh... I-I think I sprained my ankle... Might be broken, and my ribs hurt pretty bad..." Jiro answered, holding her side and grateful she didn't have feeling in her legs yet.

"Young Asui, please use the emergency phone to let Recovery Girl know she's got a patient." All Might requested, before turning his attention to Bakugo and Kaiji, leaping into the air and landing between them, "And you two, mind telling me what that was all about?"

"Tch, ask lizard lips over here, he's the one that got in my way." Bakugo scoffed.

Kaiji growled at him, clenching fists, "How'd that tail feel tough guy?" He asked in a mocking tone, "How about I give you another one, maybe upside your head this time!"

"YOU WANNA DIE!?"

"Bring it on!"

The two glared daggers at one another, even as All Might spoke, "Lock it down, Both of you!" He ordered, raising his voice, "Bakugo, back to the viewing area, if I hear anything else from you I'll send you to the Principals office, and Adachi, help young Asui take Kyoka to Recovery Girl."

"Whatever..." Bakugo grumbled, walking off.

Adachi begrudgingly nodded, "Yes sir..."

 **. . .**

The next round of testing had already begun, All Might put the distress beacon further from their position so Kaiji and Asui wouldn't cross paths with anyone else on the way out. They walked together mostly quiet, as Kaiji still had a rather annoyed look on his face as he fumed over Bakugo, currently carrying Jiro bridal style towards the gates they came in through.

"I'm sorry that happened..." Jiro finally said, wincing a bit. Her slight embarrassment of being carried like this was gone by now, "I got too excited about using my new power, didn't realize I'd overdo it so quickly."

" _Ribbit_ , you couldn't have known that would backfire right then." Asui assured, glad the silence had ended, "But that new power is amazing, when did you learn to do that?"

"Deatharms gave me the idea during some of our exercises before patrol," She explained, leaning her head back and staring at the clouds, "It sucks, I need to get a better handle on it so my muscles don't go numb... It worked so well against Zo-" Her words hitched in her throat as she realized what she almost said, Kaiji giving her a sharp look.

"What was that? _Ribbit._ " Asui asked, tilting her head.

"Nothing, ignore me." Jiro waved her off quickly, turning attention to Kaiji, "Hey are you alright? Bakugo blasted you didn't he?"

"A few scuffs, but I'm fine." Adachi assured her with a grumble, "I still can't believe what he did... It'd be one thing if he hadn't been close enough to help, but he had a chance and just..."

"Yeah, he's a jerk." Jiro sighed shaking her head, "He's always been that way, I don't think I've seen him do a single nice thing since we started class here..."

"It looked like you really made him mad Adachi," Asui noted, tapping a finger to her face, "I'd be careful if I were you, _ribbit_."

"I can handle him," Kaiji scoffed, the exit gate in sight, "If he wants to pick a fight, I'll be ready."

Jiro let out a short laugh even though it hurt, "Now there is a fight I'd like to see..."


	37. Exam Preparation

**Glad to be back everyone X3 and I'm glad you're all still excited for the story!**

 **Also I hope no one takes jerk Bakugo too personally lol I do love his character, he was just a bit pissed because of Midoriya! But we aren't out of the woods with him yet, time to start shifting perspective to new character development before the exam~**

 **Also as for an update schedule, I'll probably just be posting every couple of days. I still have to finish the last two... Maybe three chapters, so I need to space some of these out a bit XD**

* * *

"Alright, that's it for class today," Aizawa spoke in his usual bored tone as he gathered his papers together, "There's only one week left before the final exams, I'm sure you're all studying constantly right?" He questioned, more than a few students giving him rather forced nods, "Don't forget to keep training... The written exam is only one element, there's also the practical portion to worry about," He added, heading to the door and stepping out, "Good luck."

The moment the door closed, the classroom exploded with noise. Two rather slacking students opening up with their cries in unison, "I haven't even taken notes all semester!" Both Ashido and Kaminari exclaimed.

Though, while Ashido was beaming with carefree laughter, Kaminari lamented, "Between the festival and our internships I didn't have time to read the textbook!"

"It's true that we haven't had very much free time lately..." Tokoyami sweatdropped, his own rather below average mid term score weighing on his thoughts.

Adachi chuckled lightly at that, "Yeah you know for someone who seems so wise you're not much of a braniac are you?" Though, as he thought about it he only ranked number 11 in the class on his own mid term. Sure, that was a far cry from Ashido who was in dead last at 21st, but... _"I'll need to put more effort into studying, my physical training can wait for now..."_ He decided with a nod.

"Come on guys, we've still got time to study!" Midoriya assured, "That way we'll all get to go to the training camp together!"

"Yes!" Iida chimed in, raising a hand, "As Class Rep I have high hopes that we'll make UA Proud!"

"It's really not that hard to pass," Todoroki added, in a more serious tone, "If you just pay attention in class."

"Why do you gotta cut me down like that!?" Kaminari collapsed in despair.

"Hey don't worry about it you two," Yaoyorozu smiled, "I'd be happy to help catch you up on the important topics if you'd like?"

Both Kaminari and Ashido were beaming with delight, "You're the best Yaomomo!"

Momo's smile turned to a frown as she added, "Though, I'm afraid I won't be any help in preparing for the practical part of the exam..."

"Don't suppose you'd mind a third?" Adachi asked nervously, figuring what better place to get in that extra practice than with the smartest girl in class?

"I've been studying but, could you help me out too?" Jiro asked, holding up her note book, "I'm having some trouble with understanding Quadratic Functions..."

She blinked, looking between them with surprise, "R-Really?"

"Tutor me too please!" Sero pleaded bringing his hands together, "Classical Japanese is killing me!"

"Is there room for one more?" Ojiro asked nervously as he approached, "I'm afraid I'm falling behind a little..."

"Agh~" Yaomomo gasped in surprise, "This is wonderful! Alright let's do it!" She declared, rising from her seat, "We'll hold a study session at my residence over the weekend!"

"Seriously!?" Ashido exclaimed as she bounced forward, "I can't wait to see your fancy digs!"

"Ooh! I must call mother have her prepare the great hall for us!" She began rambling on, beaming with excitement.

While Kaiji chuckled, and looked towards his red haired friend, "What about you Kirishima? You getting in on this?"

"Hmm, yeah I don't know..." Kirishima shrugged with a smirk, Kaiji's own smile vanishing as he turned attention to Bakugo, "Maybe I should be studying with her..."

"What you don't think I know enough!?" The firebrand demanded, "I'll beat the lessons into your skull!"

"Ha, I'm counting on it." Kirishima nodded.

Adachi shook his head, brushing off his lingering dislike of Bakugo. Though he still couldn't understand why Kirishima was so interested in being friends with him sometimes...

 **. . .**

"Alright!"

Class 1-A was preparing to depart for the day, but Midoriya had found some useful information in the form of Kendo from class 1-B during lunch earlier. She explained that the Practical Exam would be against robots, just like the entrance Exam. And both Ashido and Kaminari were overjoyed to hear it would be something so simply.

"It'll be super easy against just robots!" The orange haired boy grinned.

"Such awesome news!" Ashido added.

"Why do you both sound so excited?" Shoji asked with a tentacle mouth, "You both have a hard time controlling your Quirks..."

"Yeah, but with robots it'll be easy to let loose!"

"And melting them will be a cinch for me!"

Adachi chuckled lightly as they bounced around excitedly, _"I guess with all the recent craziness I'd forgotten how reckless Ashido was with her schoolwork... And powers... But with such an easy exam, and Momo's tutoring we should all be able to go to the training camp."_

"Shouldn't matter if its robots or people... Why are you morons so excited?" Bakugo scoffed at them both.

"Hey!" Kaminari jabbed a finger at them, "Who are you calling a moron!?"

"SHUT UP!" Adachi narrowed his eyes as Bakugo shouted at them, "You need to learn how to control your Quirk! You got it!?" He demanded, before his eyes shifted across the room, "Hey! Deku..." The room fell silent, as the rivals locked eyes across it, "I don't know what's going on with your power, but I want you to know I've seen the way you're using it... And it's seriously pissing me off." He warned with a venomous look in his eyes.

"Uh oh..." Uraraka muttered, standing beside Ashido, "He must mean how he was flying around just like Bakugo..."

"Yeah that's right..." Mina nodded.

"I won't have another half assed victory like at the Sports Festival," Bakugo growled, raising a finger and pointing at Midoriya, "We'll be getting individual scores! New rankings," He stated sharply, as Midoriya shook under his glare, "So we'll all know exactly where we're standing! And I'll show you how much better I am..." His wild eyes quickly shifted behind him, "And Todoroki! I'll kill you too..." And finally, Bakugo locked eyes with Adachi, "Don't think I've forgotten about you either, you may not have come here with any outstanding scores... But you've been creeping up the class rankings, well that ends with the exam, I'll crush you too!"

Kaiji nodded, eyes never leaving Bakugo's, _"I'd like to see you try..."_ The classroom door slammed shut, as the aggressive boy left the class, tension hanging in the air.

"Geez... It's been awhile since I've seen him so worked up." Kirishima nervously scratched the back of his head.

Tokoyami nodded, "You think it's impatience... Or hatred?"

 **. . .**

The first two days of studying flew by with Yaoyorozu's amazing teaching. The six students under her tutelage worked hard to absorb everything she said. And Adachi cramped his hand more than once with how much he was writing down trying to take note of every little tip and information she gave her. He was determined to become better in all areas, even if that meant putting some of his physical training on hold for awhile.

Sero and Kaminari were a bit less intense as students, just doing all they could to comprehend what she was teaching. While Ojiro kept up with relative ease, given his martial training he had great discipline and was open to learning new ways. The two that surprised Kaiji the most were Jiro and Ashido. Both girls attacking their studies, outside of school they showed a passion for learning he hadn't seen in either of them before...

Well, before Zodiac.

As they were packing up and getting ready to head home that Saturday evening, Kaiji couldn't help wonder if that had anything to do with it. _"I certainly wouldn't deny it, considering how much harder I started working after the USJ..."_ He decided, tucking away his notes, _"A brush with death certainly is a good motivator."_

"Hmm? Oh, you're still packing up?" Momo asked as she returned from showing the others out, "Need a hand?"

"Huh? Oh, no I'm fine," Adachi chuckled, stuffing the last of his notes into the bag, "I just got a little carried away with note taking... Thanks for the help by the way."

"Of course," She bowed her head with a smile, "Honestly, I can't believe you even needed my help, but I'm glad to give it!"

"What do you mean by that?" Kaiji asked confused.

"Oh I just..." She hesitated for a moment, "I don't mean anything by it, but I guess what Bakugo said the other day was true... When classes started, I looked into a lot of our scores, and well... You seemed so average." She shrugged.

Kaiji blinked, looking down at his scaly hands, "Yeah I... I guess I've changed a lot since school started... But that doesn't mean I'm any better than the rest of the class."

"But after what you did at the USJ," She argued, "At Tagua... And then in the Dokuga District-" Her words caught, immediately regretting bringing it up, "Sorry... It's just, you and Midoriya, Bakugo and Todoroki... You've all advanced so much further than I have, and three of you didn't even get in on recommendation..." Yaoyorozu frowned, looking away, "Even at the Festival, before you changed so much you stood your ground against Todoroki, the strongest student in our whole class!"

 _"The festival,"_ Adachi suddenly remembered as he processed her words, the images of her crushing defeat flashing through his mind, _"Is that what this is about?"_ He wondered, shaking his head, "I'm not as amazing as you'd think, my bad decisions and reckless actions would have gotten me killed if I didn't have regenerative abilities..." Kaiji explained, shaking his head, "And up until the USJ incident... I was scared of my Quirks full power, maybe I still kinda am?" He shrugged, "Nobody is perfect, that's why I'm here," Kaiji added with a smile, "Because I trust that you're smarter than a reckless idiot like me, the others believe in you too..."

"A-Adachi I..." Yaoyorozu was left a bit stunned by his words, surprised he had so much faith in her despite her failure as a hero in her mind. "Thank you..."

"No no, thank you for the tutoring." Kaiji chuckled, brushing off her praise.

"Hey!" Ashido called, sticking her head back in the door, "Hurry up scale butt! We're gonna miss the train!"

"Right right sorry," He nervously laughed, slinging his bag over his shoulder and heading towards her, "Same time tomorrow for tutoring?"

Yaomomo nodded her head eagerly, and stifled a giggle of amusement, "Sure, same time tomorrow, _Scale butt._ "

Kaiji sighed and shook his head as he made his way out the door, "Dammit Ashido..."

 **. . .**

 _"If we don't do something this man DIES!"_

 _"I-I'll bring help! Just hang on! AND DON'T YOU DARE DIE!"_

 _"Tch, if you can't control your Quirk that's YOUR PROBLEM!"_

"Agh!" She shot up in her bed, panting for breath and covered in sweet. The troubled young girl looked around her room, calming down steadily as she looked towards the clock. Seeing the time, she sighed heavily, "Dammit..." Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she got up to start her day.

Noticing a blinking notification on her phone, Jiro stepped towards her desk and picked it up. _"A message from Yaomomo?"_ She quirked an eyebrow, sliding it open with one finger while trying to rub the sleep from her eyes.

It was a group message, between her, Ojiro, Ashido, Kaminari, Sero and Adachi, "Hey everyone, sorry I know I promised we could study more today but something came up! I won't be available until later, sorry!"

Jiro sighed with a small smile, shaking her head, "Even in her texts she sounds so sincere..." Jiro sent back a small message to tell her it was fine.

But just as she sent it, another message popped up from Adachi, "I wouldn't mind getting together still, I mean I might not be as smart as Yaoyorozu but it'd be good to keep up the study pace, get in everything we can before the exam tomorrow."

As the others started messaging, Jiro stuck her head out of the bedroom door. Listening for anyone else, she only heard silence. Bringing up her phone and typing quickly, "My parents will be gone with work until pretty late, we could study here and chill for a few hours."

"That sounds good, my house is a little cramped now that Mom's home." Adachi answered.

"I'll send the address, see you guys in a little while." Jiro replied, before setting her phone aside. She looked towards her desk, those memories still gnawing at her mind, "I guess... I could maybe write a little before they get here..." She decided, going to quickly get ready so she would have the time, "A few minutes to blow off some steam with music, that'll be fine!"

 **. . .**

A short two hours later, the group was on their way to Jiro's house. Walking through a simple suburbs area, though the houses were nice. Nicer than Adachi's, he noticed. The streets were mostly clear, as everyone was at work in the more major parts of the city of just running their daily routines, so it was easy to get around. And it wasn't long before they reached the right address.

"This looks like the place," Ojiro noted, checking his phone for the address, "Yeah this is definitely it."

"Should we call her?" Sero questioned, "Or just head up and knock?"

Adachi shrugged, "It'd be more polite to give her a call first I think..."

"Hey wait," Ashido blinked, putting a hand up to her ear, "Do you guys here that?"

"I... Think so?" Kaminari added, "It's faint... I can't tell what it is..."

"Hmm..." Ashido focused more intense, "Sounds like... Music?"

"Music?" Ojiro repeated confused.

"I'm gonna check it out!" Ashido decided with a grin, throwing her bag at Kaiji who had to scramble to catch it, giving Ashido the chance she needed to spread her wings and fly off without much protest.

The fluttering pink heroine flew around the modest home, searching for the source. Keen eyes searching for the target, when she spotted an open window! The soft sounds of a the tune coming from within. Ashido swooped down towards it, hovering just outside the window and trying to peer inside. Through the screen, she could see what must have been Jiro's room.

It had posters of various bands across the walls, as well as a few instruments. But most notable at the moment, was Jiro sitting in her desk, leaning back and gently strumming the cords of an acoustic guitar. Ashido had heard Kyoka listening to music before, but it was so much more rock than what she heard now...

 _"This music sounds... Kinda sad."_ Ashido realized, frowning for a moment, before a new sound entered the fray. One that shocked her even more than the gentle, somber music.

"I cut right through the wreckage... Look up to the sunset, eternity of flying _singing right into the sky_... No I can't live, with regret..." Jiro sang softly, leaning forward as she looked over a few pieces of paper with words scrawled on them, "Ugh... Can't think of the next line..."

"I didn't know you could sing!" Ashido exclaimed in awe.

"AAAGH!" Jiro screamed in fright at the sudden voice, falling out of her chair with the guitar and a loud thud. She turned to the window, panting as her heart raced, cheeks flushing red as she processed what Mina said, "A-Ashido! What are you doing at my window!?"

Mina laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her neck, "Oh yeah, I heard some music and wanted to check it out, the others are here too waiting outside!"

"Already?" Jiro blinked, looking to her clock, "But it's only... Oh," Her blush deepened, "I uh... Guess I got a little distracted."

"That's fine!" Ashido beamed, landing on the window frame carefully, "That was amazing! I had no idea you could sing so well! Or even play instruments!"

"Yeah yeah I can just..." She waved her off bashfully, having never gotten such praise from anyone but her parents, "Just don't bring it up alright? I want to study today."

"Okay okay okay," Ashido sighed, Jiro opening the window and letting her climb inside, "That song was really good... But why did it sound so sad?"

Jiro hesitated for a moment, looking down, "Just... Don't worry about it..."


	38. Surprise! More Training?

**VictorsMyName: Yeah I specifically love the english openings done by NateWantsToBattle lol**

 **DrakeDragon297: Well get ready to FIND OUT :D**

 **Also I've finished the rest of the Final Exams arc! And you know what that means? No more breaks! Daily posts until we're all finished up! WOOOOO!**

* * *

The written exams were over, but in the brief time after school they had available, some of the students were training for the Practical Exams that would begin the following day...

"C-Come on dammit!"

"Should we stop?"

"No I... I can keep going, its fine, its not numb yet."

"You're pushing yourself too hard again," Kirishima sighed, body returning to normal as he lowered his arms, "Lets take a short break."

"Ugh, fine..." Jiro admitted defeat, rolling her eyes as she walked over to the park benches and sat down. Lifting her water bottle with a shaky hand and struggling to twist off the top. _"I've definitely increased the amount of times I can amp my muscles... But its still not enough,"_ Jiro decided internally, growling in frustration while trying to grip the cap tighter with her trembling hand, _"If I can just nullify that weakness, build up a big enough immunity to the backlash I might-"_ She finally snapped, "DAMMIT WITH YOU JUST OPEN ALREADY!?" She screamed at her water bottle, blinking as she looked up at her friends who were both staring at her now, "Uh... Sorry..."

"How about I get that?" The purple haired student suggested, taking the bottle and opening the cap with ease, "What's gotten into you? You've been acting crazy every day we've trained this week..."

Jiro took her water back, drinking from it for a moment before releasing a breath, "... Its nothing, just forget about it, I'm sorry I yelled..."

Kirishima smiled faintly, "Hey come on, its fine to have weaknesses, you've been improving a lot, nobody said you had to master that new power overnight! You're doing just fine without it." He assured, hoping to lift her spirits.

Jiro clenched her bottle tighter, _"That's not it..."_ Before hiding it behind her usual bored expression, "Yeah sure I guess you're right..."

"Anyways... You up for another round Shinso? I know you're still trying to master that shoulder throw." Eijiro suggested with a grin.

The purple haired boy shrugged, "Sure, why not... But it's already late afternoon, didn't you have somewhere to be?"

"Oh crap really!?" Kirishima gasped, "Sorry guys I gotta go, my Mom's gonna kill me if I'm late again!" He said, quickly packing up his things and running off towards the station.

"I should probably get going too... I hate to admit it, but I'm at my limit for today." Jiro sighed, rubbing the back of her neck, "See you later Shinso..."

The tired looking boy waved her off, hands stuffed into his pockets, "Yep, see you around..." As she walked off, Shinso watched her closely, _"I know that look... Something changed for you didn't it? You've found yourself a goal haven't you?"_

 **. . .**

"With the written exams finished, and the break period over, you'll be having your practical Exam tomorrow," Aizawa said in his usual monotone as he stood before the class, "But before that, we'll be doing Combat Training again." He explained, pushing a button to open up the side panels, "Go ahead and suit up, meet at the training area in twenty minutes and we'll go over the details."

 _"This is... Sudden,"_ Kaiji noted, as he stood up and retrieved his case, _"Why now, right before the Practical Exam?"_

"Well this should be fun," Mina smiled, "Come on Kaiji we've gotta get ready!"

"Uh yeah, right, I'm coming." He nodded, following after her as everyone headed towards the locker rooms, _"I'm probably just imagining things..."_ Shrugging it off, Kaiji walked through the doors to the boys locker room.

"So, more combat training." Kaiji turned his head towards Kirishima, as they began to change into their costumes, "Should be interesting, other than that rescue training we haven't really gotten to see what everyone can do now."

"That's true," Tokoyami chimed in, "I'm sure we aren't the only ones who've developed new abilities, as we've already seen with Midoriya."

"Oh I mean," Midoriya nervously laughed, "I haven't really gained any new powers, just finally got better at only using small amounts at a time."

Adachi nodded, "Yeah, ever since I went through my training with DK I realized how similar our Quirks really are."

"What do you mean?" He questioned curiously.

"My new control allows me to draw on incredible power to enhance my body," Kaiji explained, holding up a hand as the scales began to glow faintly, "Its nowhere near as strong as your full power, but like you, if I use more than my body can handle I'll injure myself."

"Hmm, I guess you're right, our powers are kinda similar in that aspect." Izuku nodded in understanding, "Though, when I learned to channel it better I didn't grow scales." He joked.

Kaiji and Kirishima chuckled in response, before Bakugo stepped up pushing Midoriya out of the way, "Out of the way losers," He barked, shoving past them to his locker. Kaiji pushing back a little harder as well, nearly making it a full shove causing Bakugo to stop and glare at him sharply.

"K-Kacchan..." Midoriya muttered worriedly.

"Geez are you two still at it?" Kirishima sighed shaking his head.

The two eyed each other up sharply. Both of them knew that combat training meant they could be put against one another, and that meant they each had a chance to beat the other. And maybe Kaiji could settle this grudge he'd been holding onto since classes resumed...

 **. . .**

Standing within the faux city just like their first combat training exercise, the class was waiting for Mr. Aizawa to begin his explanation of what they'd be doing out here today.

"Things will be a bit different today, you'll be divided into Six teams of Three for this exercise." He stated calmly, flipping over a few notes beside the drawing box filled with lots.

"But that's only eighteen," Iida noted, "Are you saying some of us will be left out?"

"That's right," The teacher nodded, "This combat exercise will be more complicated than before, this is a hostage situation." Aizawa explained, "Three of you will be hostages, one in each scenario, with a team of three villains defending you and a team of three heroes trying to rescue you."

"Interesting..." Midoriya nodded, raising a hand to his chin in thought, "So our goal this time around won't just be capturing villains or taking out a weapon, we have to get someone to safety..."

"That's exactly right," Aizawa smirked, "The heroes must make sure the hostage makes it to safety or incapacitate the villains before the time limit is reached, while the villains must either capture, incapacitate, or hold off the heroes for twenty minutes... You'll be fighting in different structures than before, but like before the villains will have an advantage of being on defense," He quickly added, "And remember, you can't act like this is an exercise, you need to take this very seriously... Someones life will be in danger, no exploiting the fact that it's just training, I'm looking at you Midoriya." He warned, "If I see shenanigans like your last combat training, I'll end it immediately, Heroes must focus on saving lives not putting them in danger."

"Y-Yes sir!"

"Now then... The three who will be acting as hostages are..." Aizawa flipped his paper over, already having the names decided, "Todoroki, Koda, and Uraraka... One of you will be assigned to each area, now then, the rest of you draw lots to find out your teams and who you're facing, go ahead."

As the students lined up to hit the boxes for drawing their numbers, Adachi shot a glare at Bakugo. Hoping to draw against him. The process only took a few minutes, before Aizawa pressed a button causing a holo screen to appear showing the teams.

Team A: Yaoyorozu, Sato, Mineta.

Team B: Adachi, Ojiro, Hagakure.

Team C: Asui, Jiro, Tokoyami.

Team D: Kaminari, Kirishima, Aoyama.

Team E: Midoriya, Iida, Ashido.

Team F: Bakugo, Sero, Shoji.

"I'm ready to do my best!" Hagakure beamed, clapping a hand on Ojiro and Adachi's shoulder.

"Just do what I say and we'll win." Bakugo ordered his team mates with a grunt.

"We're technical but we've also got a fourth member." Asui nodded to the others, implying Dark Shadow.

"With our mobility we've got a good chance here." Midoriya smiled at his team mates, "We can win!"

"Why am I always stuck with this little pervert..." Yaomomo sighed heavily.

"I'll protect you guys and we can blow them away from a distance!" Kirishima decided banging his knuckles together.

"Now, with that out of the way," Aizawa cut in, pressing another button, "Lets see your matchups..."

 **Round One! Team B, versus Team E!**

 **Round Two! Team A versus Team D!**

 **Round Three! Team C versus Team F!**

Adachi was a little disappointed he wouldn't be fighting Bakugo, but he was more intimidated by his actual match. He locked eyes with Midoriya, the two sharing a brief nod with one another, before Aizawa continued. "Teams B and E I'll point you to the right building, Team B will be the villains and Team E the heroes... Todoroki will be your hostage, everyone else make your way to the viewing area."

 **. . .**

Team B was to defend their hostage in a mostly empty parking structure. The small team moved their restrained classmate deeper inside while going over their plans on how to handle the team of more elite students they'd have to deal with...

"I've gotta say, I'm not too excited to fight Midoriya or Iida," Ojiro stated calmly, carrying Todoroki behind him with his tail, "They've got pretty good mobility... They can definitely outmaneuver us with Midoriya's new power."

"And don't forget Ashido's wings," Hagakure added, "This might be another squash..."

"No way," Ojiro answered quickly, "I won't go out so easily like our last combat training exercise!" He declared confidently, "Even if we can't win, we'll put up a good fight!"

"You're missing the bigger objective here," Adachi chimed in finally after thinking, "We just need to run out the clock, I think I know how we can do that... But it's a big risk."

Meanwhile, just outside the structure, Team E was waiting for the signal to begin. Sizing up their own enemies as well...

"Adachi seems like our biggest threat, but we can't even see Hagakure," Midoriya analyzed, "And we shouldn't underestimate Ojiro..."

"We've got the advantage of speed," Iida added, "I can use my Quirk to race in, grab Todoroki once we find him, and get him out."

"That may be the best option," Midoriya nodded, "Once we begin, Ashido you should fly around the structure, try to spot them from the outside."

Mina understood quickly, "Got it, I'll scout for us so we'll have more time to fight..." She wasn't exactly eager to fight Kaiji, but she wasn't gonna let any of her feelings stop her from doing her best!

"I'll try to hold off Adachi," Midoriya decided, "I'm still not sure the extent of his new abilities, but from what I know... He's strong, so I'll keep him busy while you go after the Hostage Iida, sound like a plan?"

"Risky, but I think it's our best chance."

An alarm sounded, and the gate lifted allowing them entrance into the structure as Aizawa's voice sounded over the loudspeakers.

"Begin Round One!"

* * *

 **Whoops did I make you think the Finals were starting? NOooope! Still got one miniarc to finish XD**


	39. Clash! One For All VS The Beast!

**DrakeDragon297: Thanks! I'm hoping this fight is as fun for everyone as I thought it was!**

 **Phoenix X 2: Wut mean? She is one of the hostages for the exercises, all three of them won't be in every single event, each match gets one of them if that's what you meant.**

 **VictorsMyName: Yeah, this chapter is one of two that I feel took a hit in their standing because of time constraints, luckily neither of them were any of the big fights coming up. But yeah as far as the cut off point, I wasn't really aiming for a cliffhanger there, just trying to introduce the sudden change of events without diving too deep but I know what you mean. I trimmed a decent amount of fat from the last chapter purely because I had it too focused on some new rivalry between Bakugo and Adachi, which considering the way Bakugo is, I decided was too far flung. And it felt like it just put Bakugo in the bad guy position too hard which I'd rather avoid. BUT! Hopefully this nice long fight can make up for it XD You've got two chapters of combat coming your way!**

 **I hope you're all ready for laughs and action! It's time to see truly where Adachi stands compared to his classmate!**

* * *

"Round One, begin!"

Though most all eyes in the viewing room were on the various screens showing what was happening in the parking structure. One of the students was clutching her hands to keep them from shaking, thinking about what was going to happen here today. And the match up she'd be forced to face.

 _"Bakugo... Why did it have to be Bakugo!?"_ She asked herself, clenching her fists tightly, _"I would have tried my luck against anyone else... But I can't beat Bakugo! Even with Asui and Tokoyami, we're screwed!"_

"So that's his transformation..." Aizawa muttered, drawing her attention back up. On the center screen, Kaiji was doubled over, growing larger in size as he changed into the mighty beast.

"That thing is so cool..." Sato muttered.

"Are you kidding me that monster is terrifying!" Mineta exclaimed.

 _"He changed so early,"_ Jiro thought, watching the camera's as the massive lizard started moving, _"What is he playing at? Is he going to try and brute force them down immediately?... And where are Ojiro and Hagakure?"_

 **. . .**

As the thunderous roar sounded through the faux city, Midoriya felt a chill run through him, "He's transformed already... He must not be taking any chances."

"I've yet to see any of his forms beyond the second," Iida noted, "But we should be very cautious, Ashido, have you seen anything yet?"

"Not yet," She responded over her communicator, currently circling the building from outside, "So many pillars and those fake cars... Its hard to get a good view, wait! I think I see him!" She suddenly exclaimed, spotting a familiar figure, "He's alone! Fourth floor it looks clear I think I can get to him!"

"Ashido wait!" Midoriya warned, "Don't get ahead of yourself! Wait for us t-" His breath hitched as loud, lumbering footsteps sounded from above them. Slowly, his eyes turned up to the concrete ceiling, dust falling down as the loud thumps slowed down right above their position. He turned his head slowly to Iida, raising a finger and motioning for him to be quite.

But his outcry had already alerted the beast to their location, **"HRAAAAAAAAAAAH!"** The roar sounded, a terrible smash shaking the ceiling as cracks began to form. The stone above breaking slowly, with thud after thud.

"MOVE!" Iida cried, grabbing Midoriya and dashing out of the way as the ceiling finally caved inward. The massive beast crashing through to their floor, landing on his feet in the rubble, glowing eyes immediately locking onto them.

 _"He came right for us,"_ Midoriya clenched his fists, taking his fighting stance, "He must be trying to knock us out quickly," He said, holding the gaze of the massive beast before him. Remembering faintly what had happened at the USJ and silently hoping Kaiji had more control over it now, "Iida! Make a run for the fourth floor to help Ashido while I-"

 **"GRAAAH!"** Midoriya was interrupted as Adachi unleashed a thunderous roar, the way sound echoed in this parking structure made the noise deafening. And as they were covering their ears to resist the sound he unleashed a swathe of green flames across the floor.

"Watch out!" Iida cried, both students jumping back to avoid the flames. The fire spread wide, scorching the concrete and leaving it sizzling with burns and embers, "Ngh! My ears are ringing..." Tenya grimaced as he kept his eyes on the beast, _"I need to get to the Fourth floor, I can't let Adachi stop me!"_

"Alright lets go!" Midoriya began charging his body with power, "One For All... FULL COWLING!" He blasted forward with sudden speed as Kaiji lunged forward to meet him. Midoriya was far faster however, and slipped right through his outreached arms, "A Five Percent... Delaware! SMASH!" The punch struck him dead center of the chest, releasing a small shockwave, _"I knew it! He isn't as fast when in this form!"_ He realized with a grin, "RUN IIDA!"

But before he could celebrate or continue, Midoriya was swatted aside like a fly by one of Adachi's massive arms. The boy tumbling across the ground and hitting a pillar, crying out in pain, "Midoriya!" Iida gasped, stopping in his tracks.

"Ngh! J-Just run Iida! Now!" He ordered, before cringing and holding his head as Adachi bellowed once again creating that deafening noise that echoed throughout the structure, _"Dammit, a Five Percent smash isn't enough to even stun him in this form! And making all that noise, in such an acoustic place, he's making it harder for us to communicate..."_ He was trying to analyze a way through Adachi but was hitting a brick wall here, and starting to sweat as Adachi unleashed another burst of flames to keep Iida back, the temperatures in this floor rising steadily.

 **. . .**

In the viewing room, Aizawa was taking close note of the situation. "Adachi is performing well... As far as coming up with a plan, his strategy so far seems pretty air tight, but its still a gamble."

"What do you mean?" Sato asked curiously, "It looks like he's just attacking them..."

"I suppose its harder for you all to tell because you don't have audio," The teacher admitted, "But, Adachi is taking the enemy teams weaknesses into account here and using the terrain to his advantage... Though he's staking the game on his ability to maintain this form and keep up with them both... The way the Parking Structure rebounds and echoes noises are making those roars incredibly loud, preventing Iida and Midoriya from communicating while also disorienting them... At the same time, in that form Midoriya can't really hurt him without using so much power that it injures himself too I'd wager... And I have another hunch, about why he's spreading so much fire... I believe he's trying to prevent Iida from using his Recipro Burst."

"Woah wait you're right!" Kirishima exclaimed, "Look at Midoriya, he's sweating so much, those flames must be heating up the entire area! And if Iida's engines run too hot he can't use his Recipro right?"

"And this isn't even counting Ojiro and Hagakure," Aizawa reminded, "Which means he either has more planned for them, or is staking this entire mission on those two not getting past him..."

Tokoyami nodded, "Fortune favors the bold I suppose..."

 **. . .**

"SMASH!" Adachi didn't budge, as Midoriya struck him in the back of the head. Turning quickly the beast swiped at him, the green haired boy barely managed to get out of range. But rather than keep his attention on Midoriya, Kaiji instantly spun around and unleashed another wave of flames at Iida. Cutting him off from the ramp leading to the next floor and bathing it in emerald fire.

"We're running out of time Midoriya!" Tenya shouted to him, keeping a safe distance as Midoriya landed on the opposite side of the monster before them.

"Crap..." He muttered, clenching his fists, "I know it's risky but... ASHIDO GO! Get in their and rescue the hostage!" He commanded over the comms.

 _"Crap!"_ Kaiji went wide eyed, before roaring out through the structure making both students cover their ears, _"I hoped they'd all come at me... Ojiro should be able to handle her... But just in case, I need to focus on incapacitating these two now!"_

"Recipro... BURST!" Adachi's eyes darted to his flank, in his moment of thought Iida was making a move. He was trying to speed past Kaiji's blind spot, but he'd forgotten about a weapon Kaiji had yet to use in this exercise. A weapon that didn't need to be fast, Tenya would do all the damage to himself for the most part.

"IIDA LOOK OUT!" Midoriya cried, as Kaiji's tail swung around suddenly. Iida's eyes widened, he tried to redirect his course but the heat had already gotten to his engines making them give out. Forcing him to slam right into the tail hard before Adachi applied force with it, sending him flying into a nearby car where he smashed into the hood and windshield. Before Midoriya could make anymore moves, Adachi got between him and the fallen hero. His narrowed reptilian eyes burning into Midoriya. The green haired boy clenched his fists tightly, _"If I want to get past him, I have to try harder, and I need to stop him from tying up Iida... Even if I did just blast past him to help Ashido, he'd follow me then we'd be fighting three on two..."_ He reasoned, his friend still moving, but injured and stuck in the car, "That means buying time... Alright! Let's see how much of Five Percent you can really take!"

As Midoriya prepared for another attack, Iida tried to sit up, holding his side, "I-I don't think anythings broken... But my body, that tail hits like a truck!"

"Guys! What's going on!? Should I make a move or not!?" Mina's voice sounded over his comm.

Iida didn't hesitate, quickly responding, "Go now! Try to find the hostage and get out while we handle things here! We're counting on you Ashido, I know you can do this!"

 **. . .**

"Right!" Ashido responded instantly to Tenya's orders, swooping down through the first opening she could find on the Fourth Floor. She had to tuck her wings to make it through, but landed smoothly after evening herself out. Quickly, she ducked down and slid behind a car for cover, eyes scanning for the hostage she had seen before, _"He was right in the center... I've just got to reach him!"_

"Gotchya!"

"AGH!" Ashido gasped as she felt hands grab ahold of her from behind. Seeing the gloves, she instantly knew who it was, "H-Hagakure!?"

"That's right now sit still!" She ordered, struggling to hold Ashido and start wrapping her with the capture tape.

"Gah! G-Get off of me!" Ashido struggled, the two hitting the floor as they each struggled for control. A spectacle of tumbling bodies and shaking... Assets.

"O-Ojiro help me!" Hagakure called out.

The young boy was standing nearby atop one of the cars, but was having a bit of trouble moving his legs as he watched, "Uh y-yeah right..." He nodded, blushing lightly, _"Well... Maybe in a minute or two..."_

 **. . .**

"Carolinaaaaaaa! SMASH!" After slipping through his guard again, Midoriya landed a cross chop on Kaiji's chest. A burst of force following through behind the beast, but the massive reptile snarled and lunged forward trying to grab him. The boy only just managed to jump back out of the way, "I guess it doesn't really matter where I hit you does it!?" He clenched his teeth, and lunged forward, delivering another solid blow to the center of Kaiji's chest, before ducking beneath another swinging hand trying to snatch him.

 _"He's faster than me, I already knew he would be but damn,"_ Adachi growled lowly, keeping his eyes locked on Izuku, _"If I can just grab ahold of him... This fight is finished!"_

A massive, clawed hand came down trying to snatch him. Only succeeding in tearing up the concrete floor as Midoriya lunged past it, "How about... THIS!" One fist to the right side of Adachi's jaw, before he turned and took a left hook to the opposite side.

 **"GRAAH!"** He roared in Izuku's face, snapping forward with his teeth attempting to snag an arm. Midoriya started backstepping, but Adachi was in hot pursuit.

"I guess I wasn't wrong," Midoriya was thinking as fast as he could, while Kaiji pursued him like a wild beast, "Five Percent really has NO effect on you!"

But this time, as Kaiji lunged forward trying to snag Midoriya, the boy dashed between his legs. Sliding out behind him, and grabbing ahold of Kaiji, _"M-My tail!?"_ He went wide eyed, as Midoriya clenched his teeth and started digging in his heels. Before Adachi could even try to counter, Midoriya spun around, using all his might to lift Kaiji off his feet and throw him hard into a nearby pillar. A bit of the ceiling above collapsing inward on him from the damage to the support.

"But maybe... I can wear you down." Midoriya panted, eyes scanning the dust, muscles already sore from the exertion.

 **"I didn't realize you were so strong at just Five Percent..."** Midoriya's eyes bulged, as Adachi slowly pushed off the rubble. Looking a little banged up, but no worse for wear overall, **"What's with that look? You forget I can talk like this?"** He released a low, rumbling chuckle.

Izuku couldn't help but release a nervous laugh, "Well, last time it was... A lot less intelligent, the stuff you were growling at me during that fight..." He admitted, but didn't lower his guard.

 **"I suppose so... But you won't win here by wearing me down,"** Adachi took a heavy step forward, **"My time limit in this form, is one hour, last time I checked... So unless that's changed, you don't stand a chance of beating me... Even at Five Percent, you can't hurt me!"**

"A-An entire hour?" Midoriya muttered, clenching his fists, "With my attacks not working at all... What am I supposed t-" His words hitched, trying to think of any way out of this.

 **"Give up, or fight until you're either exhausted or the time has run out."** Adachi growled, **"Either is fine with me, you can't win..."**

Midoriya bit his lip, eyes clenching shut, _"I know we've only got a few minutes left to win this! And I know that... Going further than Five Percent might hurt my body,"_ He took a deep breath, releasing it slowly as his body began to glow while channeling his power, _"But even so... I-I have to bring Adachi down!"_ He wasn't sure why, but this beast... This incredible power before him, it was just another obstacle. He had to prove he could overcome it, no matter the cost! _"Because I'm going to be..."_ Kaiji flinched, as Midoriya's eyes shot open, pupils glowing bright green in color, _"THE WORLDS SYMBOL OF PEACE AND JUSTICE!"_

 _"Wh-What is this pressure!?"_ Adachi wondered, his beastly features not showing any of his creeping fear, _"What changed in him just now? Wh-Why am I so afraid!?"_

"Let's GO!" Midoriya shouted, before he vanished with blinding speed.

Before Kaiji could even make a move, **"GAH!"** He gagged, wind knocked out of him as Midoriya's fist struck his stomach. Definitely leaving more of an impact this time around. Growling in anger, he slashed forward with his claws, but Midoriya dodged! Backstepping out of range before lunging forward and delivering another more powerful blow to Adachi's jaw, actually making him hurt a little. He started attacking rapidly, throwing more powerful punches that forced Adachi onto the defensive. _"What is he doing!? Where did this come from all of a sudden!?"_ He demanded in his mind, **"HRAAAAAH!"** With a thunderous roar, he forced Midoriya back with a wave of flames, **"Weren't you paying attention? You can't hurt me with just Five Percent of your power!"**

"Yeah, you're right!" Midoriya smirked, blasting forward through the flames with an incredible burst of speed, his muscles on fire all over his body. But he ignored the pain, "If you can handle me at Five Percent!" A bone breaking uppercut nearly lifted Adachi off his heavy feet, "Then I'll just have to go beyond that and FORCE YOU TO SURRENDER!" Another barrage of punches blasting Kaiji, the beast forced to bring his arms up to protect his face. The blows at such high speed were jarring his senses, making it harder to fight back, _"It hurts... Even at just Fifteen Percent I can feel my muscles tearing, I have to end this FAST!"_

 **"GRAAAAH!"** Kaiji roared furiously, eyes filled with a wild, primal rage. He slashed at Midoriya, the boy trying to backstep, but his leg muscles only let him get so far before failing. Causing him to get slashed across the chest, not piercing flesh but ripping open the front of his costume.

 _"Fifteen Percent is hurting him, but it's not enough! I-I have to go beyond!"_ Midoriya's entire arm started to glow through his costume, body sparking with energy as he sprang off his heels flying right towards Kaiji.

 _"NOW!"_ Adachi realized, _"His feet are off the ground, he can't change course! THIS IS MY CHANCE! Even if he hits me! I can still grab him!"_ Lunging forward with his hands, Kaiji made a final attempt to snag Midoriya.

"Recipro!" Adachi's eyes bulged, as Iida's voice sounded from his flank, having completely forgotten about him, "EXTEND!"

 **"Grah!"** He howled in pain, as Iida delivered a spinning turbo charged kick to his outreaching arm. The impact no doubt snapping the bone and making his arm go limp. Leaving Adachi totally exposed to Midoriya's incoming attack, _"NO!"_

"SMAAAAAAAAAASH!" The impact blasted the entire first floor of the structure with dust and powerful gusts of wind, as Midoriya's left fist struck Kaiji in the center of the chest. The explosion of force sent Adachi flying back, while Midoriya landed on the ground, collapsing to his knees as the power left his body.

Iida panted heavily as he stood nearby, "A-Amazing... We did it!" He fist pumped in excitement.

"Ngh!" The green haired boy hissed in pain, gripping his broken arm, _"Even fifteen percent hurts still, my muscles started tearing but... I had to use a Fifty Percent Smash in the end, was that the only way I could beat him?"_ His eyes darted up to Kaiji, seeing the beast appeared to have been completely knocked out by the blast and impact on the wall, "No... That was overkill... I hope he's alright..."

"Midoriya!" Iida's voice caught his attention, turning left he saw the armored boy moving towards him, "I... Are you alright?"

"My arms is broken, b-but if you can move you need to get up to the fourth floor! Hurry!" Midoriya commanded, knowing that at this rate he'd only hurt himself more if he pushed forward, "Can you run?"

"Yes," Iida assured, steeling himself as he prepared to activate his engines, "Hang on, I'll get the hostage to safety in a flash!"

 **. . .**

"Agh!" Hagakure gasped, as Ashido finally got the upper hand. Shoving her back after managing to get to her feet, the pink heroine jumped back and unleashed a gust of powerful wind with her wings. The wind nearly blowing Hagakure away before Ojiro caught her with his tail, "About time you helped!" She barked at him in annoyance.

"R-Right sorry!" He replied, hiding his nosebleed, "Hang on I'll take her out!" He assured, setting her down before running forward to meet Ashido. Leaping ahead by springing off his tail, and spinning mid air attempted to swat her down like a fly with his tail!

Ashido managed to bring up her arms in time to defend against the attack, but the force still knocked her right to the ground where she tumbled a few feet, "Tsss! Ow ow ow!" She yelped, after sliding across the unforgiving concrete.

Ojiro pressed the advantage, spinning head over heels to try and slam her with his tail. But Ashido managed to just barely get out of the way, before diving at him and throwing a powerful punch. It clocked Ojiro right across the jaw, but as he stumbled away, the tailed hero struck out with his... Well, tail. Striking Mina in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her as she fell back on her knees holding her ribs.

"Ashido!" All eyes darted back, spotting Iida near the ramp! "Where's the hostage!?"

"I-In the center! Hurry!" Ashido cried out, forcing herself up, "I'll slow them down GO!" She dug in her heels quickly, using her wing flaps to unleash gusts of wind, forcing Ojiro and Hagakure into cover.

"We've gotta stop them!" Hagakure cried.

"Ngh! I-I can barely see with this wind!" Ojiro responded, looking for a way out, "Those wings are too strong!"

As the typhoon continued, Iida raced by his friend tied up in the center, "Todoroki!" He cried, sliding to a stop and picking him up, "I'VE GOT HIM!" Iida's voice echoed throughout the parking structure.

"Give him to me!" Ashido cried out, turning and flying towards him, knowing they were almost out of time.

"Here!" Iida tossed Todoroki, as Ashido blasted by.

"A little warning would have been nice!" Icy Hot cried out in protest mid flight before Ashido caught him.

"NO!" Ojiro flung himself forward now that the wind had stopped, "I won't let you!"

"GO!" Iida commanded, blasting forward with his engines, meeting Ojiro mid way with a kick. Tail met leg, but Iida's injuries caught up with him, and Ojiro pushed him back. Smashing Iida to the ground with his powerful limb, but just as he finished putting him down, Ashido flew out of the parking structure with the hostage in her arms.

"I did it!" She cried in excitement.

Todoroki swallowed nervously as he looked towards the ground far below, "How about you celebrate once I'm on the ground?"

An alarm sounded, as Ojiro collapse to his knees in defeat, "Hero Team Wins," Aizawa's voice called in a more official tone, "Medical staff will arrive shortly... Get to the bottom and assist your fellow students."

 **. . .**

A short time later, as others were preparing to start the next test, Aizawa stood before the students from Round One. Kaiji was up and had a sling around his right arm, while Midoriya had one around his left. Iida might have had some cracked ribs, and Ashido only had some scrapes and bruises, while Hagakure and Ojiro were mostly unscathed from the fighting... Aside from Ojiro's bloody nose of course.

"Going over the results, I'll explain where you all went wrong, pay attention try to learn something." Aizawa stated simply, waiting for their nods before continuing, "For one, the villains underestimated Ashido's new power, and didn't take necessary precautions, as well as Ojiro allowing himself to be... Distracted," The tailed teen blushing deeply at his own folly, Hagakure shooting him a glare, "But the biggest issue was putting all your faith in Adachi's plan, it was a good strategy, but hinged too much on his ability to hold off both Midoriya and Iida."

Kaiji sighed heavily, "Yeah, sorry guys, I didn't really have a backup if my plan didn't work out and they got passed me..."

"But the heroes made mistakes as well," Aizawa reminded, turning to them, "Midoriya and Iida were taken completely off guard by Adachi, and let him eat up most of their time... Iida, you forgot that Adachi's tail is just as dangerous as any of his other limbs, and were careless... While Ashido allowed herself to be caught by one of the villains, if this were real you'd likely be dead."

She slouched her shoulders, "Yeah I guess so..."

"You are completely right," Iida shamefully lowered his head, "I must pay more attention! We nearly failed because of my incompetence!"

"And Midoriya, you only managed to overpower Adachi by breaking your bones again." He stated sharply, "You've made good progress, don't fall back on it now by getting overzealous."

The green haired boy nodded his head, "Y-Yes sir..."

"Recovery Girl will be here shortly," He added, beginning to walk away, "Once she's patched you up, join the rest of us at the second training building to view the next round..." As he walked away, Aizawa thought over that engagement between Adachi and the others, connecting a few dots in his head, _"It sure took me some time... But I think I've found your biggest weakness as a Hero, Adachi... Seems I'll need to make some adjustments."_

The tired man released a sigh into his scarf.

 _"The final exams are certainly going to be interesting, if nothing else..."_


	40. Jiro Takes A Stand

**VictorsMyName: Thanks XD I'm glad I can redeem myself with good fight chapters lol Yeah I wanted to give a real show of Midoriya's improvement as well. Considering how easy it was for him to just, kinda turn on the 5% power I figured pushing to 10 or 15 wouldn't be that much of a stretch.**

 **DrakeDragon297: I don't think I'll ever go as far as him turning into a full blown dragon, but there is more about the beast powers to be learned, they are volatile and prone to mutations if the right conditions are met. And that's all I can say without spoiling ;3**

* * *

The second round went by fast, a smoothly concocted trap by Yaoyorozu and Mineta made capturing the Hero team easy. Kirishima was fuming from his quick loss, but while Aizawa gave them the rundown of their rather blatant failure, the final two teams made their way to the final testing building. Asui, Tokoyami and Jiro headed to the waiting area outside of the fake school they'd be fighting in. While Bakugo, Sero and Shoji made their way inside.

"With Shoji they've got sensory skills on their side so a sneak attack is out of the question." Tokoyami pointed out as they waited.

"And Sero will be able to catch us easily if we aren't careful..." Asui nodded, tapping a finger to her face as she thought, "We need a plan... _ribbit._ "

 _"Its not like we stand a chance against Bakugo anyways..."_ Jiro thought to herself, eyes down as she walked, "Koda is the hostage we're rescuing? I don't know what we could do..." She sighed, scratching the back of her neck, "Our odds aren't very good, this match up is terrible."

"Lets think about the layout," Tokoyami continued, ignoring her bleak outlook, "This is a school, a small suburban school, which means most of the open space will be on the first floor, maybe a few rooms on the second floor... So there won't be a whole lot of places to hide the hostage from us."

"We've also got Dark Shadow, _ribbit,_ " Asui noted, "So we've got an advantage of numbers, if we're careful... I think we can do this."

"Final Round, Start."

"Let's go." Fumikage ordered, moving towards the front doors, "Stay together, with Shoji detecting us we can't split up or they may ambush us." He said quietly, pushing open the doors and heading inside while the other two followed him.

The building was made up of a few long halls, rooms branching off all around them. Though it wasn't a very big building, modeled after an elementary school maybe. From the outside it looked like there might be a room or two on the an upper floor, so those were areas they would likely find the hostage. While keeping their eyes and ears open, Team C began searching for the stairs.

 _"Where is he gonna attack from?"_ Jiro wondered, eyes darting to every dark corner of the dimly lit building, _"If he wanted, he could probably knock us all out in an instant! Using one of those big blasts... Someone like him, I'm no match for one of the classes top students!"_ She clenched her fists, hands shaking a bit as fear started to sink in, her mind flashing back to the rescue exercise after their internships, _"I was so stupid to think I could ever keep up with-"_

"Hey," Her thoughts were interrupted, as Asui placed a hand on her shoulder, "What's up, you look like you're freaking out..."

"I-I was just..." Jiro hesitated, "I-It's nothing... Here, I'll try to find them with my Quirk." She decided as if she only just remembered the power, moving towards one of the walls and plugging in one of her jacks, picking up on any faint movement throughout the building, "I can hear someone upstairs... Bigger, probably Shoji... Someone else isn't too far ahead, hiding... But I don't hear any other-" Her eyes suddenly widened, "Wait, no, the third one is-"

A massive blast came through a wall behind them, the explosion jarring Jiro as her jack sent the intense noise amplified directly into her right eardrum. The girl cried out in pain, collapsing to the ground and holding her ear, while Tokoyami and Asui got up to face the firebrand stepping out through the hole. A sinister grin on his face as he closed in on them.

"I knew you'd use your damn hearing to find us," Bakugo stated sharply, "I told that multi-armed weirdo to tell me when you did, because I knew a good blast would mess up your hearing! Good luck fighting me when you can't-" He paused, narrowing his eyes as he realized only one of her ears had been damaged, "Tch, so you didn't use both jacks... Whatever, your sense are all messed up now anyways... I just need to crush your team mates!"

 _"H-He knew just how to exploit my Quirk,"_ Jiro winced, blood running from her right ear, _"I... I played right into his hands... I'm such an idiot!"_

"Tokoyami find the stairs!" Asui ordered, "We know where the other two are now, Shoji is likely guarding the hostage so find him!" Without waiting for a response, she sprung forward, surprising Bakugo with the sudden rushing attack. But his reflexes were too good, he ducked below her flying kick and placed both hands on her stomach, blasting Asui into the ceiling.

"Too slow frogger!" Bakugo sneered, the girl was knocked out instantly from the force of the attack while Tokoyami made his break for it, "And you can't leave either bird face!" He shouted, blasting off to try and intercept him.

 _"A-Asui!"_ Jiro's eyes widened, seeing her hit the ground face first and remain still, _"I... Why can't I move!? I-I have to do something!"_ Forcing herself up slowly, as Bakugo flew past her, "HEY!" She shouted, plugging into her leg amps, she unleashed a blast of sound waves. Just as Tokoyami turned the corner, Bakugo was blasted out of the air and hit the far wall hard.

"Grr... You little..." Bakugo growled, getting up slowly and brushing off the impact, "You should have stayed down!" Bringing up both hands, Bakugo pulled out one of the pins on his gauntlet and unleashed the terrible destructive force of his Quirk. The explosions filling the hall and racing towards Jiro. She fired back with her amps, but the sonic blast was quickly overwhelmed, only seeming to lessen the force of the blast before she was engulfed as well in smoke and flames.

As she vanished, Sero stepped out of his own hiding spot, "Nice work but wasn't that a little much?"

"Shut it," He barked, making Sero flinch, "Tie those two up, I'm going to go kill that stupid bird." Bakugo stated harshly, making his way towards the stairs where Tokoyami had fled.

 **. . .**

"Bakugo is vicious as ever... Poor Jiro." Ashido muttered with a pout.

"Tokoyami is still in this," Adachi said, crossing his arms as he narrowed his eyes, _"Come on... Don't lose to that jerk, I know you can beat him!"_

Aizawa watched the screens closely, taking a few notes as he watched Sero approach the rubble and tie up Asui. _"Recovery Girl isn't going to be happy with these injuries... Bakugo is being rougher than usual, trying to show up Midoriya I'm guessing."_ He internally sighed shaking his head, _"But Asui, Jiro and Tokoyami don't stand a chance against that power in a head to head fight... Better they stay down than let him beat on them any longer."_

 **. . .**

"Sorry... Wasn't _my_ plan to blow you both up." Sero muttered, as he finished using the capture tape to lock down Asui who was still dazed. He took a moment to check her over for injuries, but it was just a few burns. And a nasty bump on her head where she'd hit the ceiling, "Now, to find Jiro..."

A door that had been blown off the hinges nearby suddenly shifted. And from behind it, Jiro emerged. She was panting for breath, blood running from a cut just below her left eye as well as from her right ear. Her jacket was badly burned. She winced, holding her side as Sero gasped upon seeing her.

"O-Oh crap! I told Bakugo that was too much!" He exclaimed, "Here, just sit down, you're done in this fight anyways no need t-"

"HRAAAAAH!" Before he could even react, she lunged for him. A wild look in her eyes, as she slammed Sero in the stomach with a Super Sonic punch. Sero's eyes bulged as he doubled over, her punch forcing whatever he'd had for breakfast out of his stomach before he collapsed on the floor totally knocked out. Jiro pulled her hand back, slowly catching her breath as the jack left her arm, "Sorry Sero... B-But I'm not done yet." She rasped, tying him up quickly with her own capture tape and loosening Asui's bonds before heading for the stairs, the sounds of battle echoing from above.

 **. . .**

"Dark Shadow!"

"On it!"

Shards of wood flew through the air as Dark Shadow sliced through the chairs being thrown by Shoji. The incredibly strong young man using his physical strength to hold the birds at bay. _"That Quirk of his is making it hard to get close... I know it shouldn't take long for Bakugo to finish up down there, but I'd rather take out Fumikage myself..."_ He decided, clenching his fists tightly.

 _"I need to knock him out fast, and get to Koda... I may need to take a gamble here."_ Tokoyami narrowed his eyes at him, "Dark Shadow! Keep him busy while I find Koda!" He commanded.

"Sure I've got him!" The creature snarled and lunged forward, Tokoyami making a break for the nearest door to begin searching.

"I won't let you!" Shoji cried out, charging forward to meet the shadow. Snagging a desk in each hand as he went. Just as Dark Shadow got into range, he jumped and slammed one desk down on the creature, smashing him into the floor before throwing the other at Tokoyami.

"Gah!" Tokoyami gasped, broadsided by the desk and sent crashing into the wall. He winced in pain, pushing the desk aside and slowly getting up.

"Give up quietly." Shoji ordered, pulling out the capture tape as he backed Fumikage up against the wall.

"Never," Tokoyami answered sharply, before smirking, "Especially not after you just took the bait."

"GOTCHYA!" Dark Shadow suddenly cried, emerging from the floor behind Shoji just as he cornered Tokoyami. Wrapping his massive, writhing hands around the boys muscular form.

"Ngh! So... You used yourself as bait so Dark Shadow could grab me." Shoji realized, trying to struggle free.

"That's right," Tokoyami nodded, catching his breath and recovering from the desk throw, "Good work Dark Shadow, now knock him out."

"On it!" A swift blow to the back of the head was enough to make the multi-armed boy go limp. Dark Shadow quickly released him, while Tokoyami got to work tying him up with the capture tape, "Now, lets grab Koda and get out of here before-"

"So the big guy couldn't stop you huh?" Tokoyami stiffened, turning around to face Bakugo who stood in the doorway to the now ruined classroom, "I figured he wouldn't be able to handle a two on one fight... Besides, he's not fast enough to get past your stupid shadow like I am!"

Tokoyami narrowed his eyes, Dark Shadow hovering between the two, "Not for lack of trying I assure you... He certainly landed a few good blows, if I hadn't used myself as a decoy I wouldn't have ever gotten the drop on him like I did."

"Are you done talking?" Bakugo questioned, a wicked smirk crossing his lips, "You really think I care how good that loser did? If he couldn't even beat you than he's NOTHING!" Without warning, Bakugo blasted forward towards Tokoyami at full force.

"Impatient as ever..." Tokoyami clenched his teeth, "Alright lets go! DARK SHADOW!"

"I already know your weakness!" Bakugo laughed wickedly, as Dark Shadow swelled in size and raced towards him, "I'll blow away this stupid bird and crush you JUST LIKE AT THE FESTIVAL!" Thrusting his hand forward, Bakugo unleashed an explosion right into Dark Shadow.

"Aaagh that stings!" The creature hissed, before suddenly splitting open down the middle to reveal Tokoyami charging as well with his fist drawn back!

"I'm not the same as I was at the Festival, Bakugo!" Fumikage declared, Bakugo still being carried forward by his momentum and taken completely off guard, "HYAH!" Throwing a fist forward, Tokoyami slammed Bakugo right across the jaw.

The boy was decked instantly, hitting the floor beside Tokoyami. But before he could grab the capture tape, Bakugo began rising to his feet, his lip running with a bit of blood as he glared at Tokoyami and Dark Shadow. His red eyes wild with fury, "Congratulations... You've officially PISSED ME OFF!"

 **. . .**

Jiro was just climbing the stairs, almost to the top, when a thunderous explosion rocked the building. Forcing her to stop and grab the railing for support, a wave of smoke blowing by the archway ahead of her. Her eyes widened, a chill running down her spine as she saw the spreading fire and smoke left in the wake of Bakugo's attack.

Her legs began to shake, heart pounding in her chest. She shook it off as best she could, forcing herself forward even as every basic instinct told her to flee. _"I have to help Tokoyami! I can't run away!"_

Running forward down the hall, she could feel a pressure on her shoulders as she neared the room she believed was the source of the blast. Though, considering how utterly destroyed the walls and doorway were, it could hardly be called a room anymore. If she wasn't so scared of Bakugo, she'd be more worried about how the roof was even still holding up at this point.

"T-Tokoyami!" She gasped, seeing him buried halfway beneath some rubble from one of the walls and a few ceiling tiles. He appeared to be unconscious or at least dazed, "Hang on I'll-"

"So, you're still up..." She froze in her tracks, Bakugo standing at the far end of the destroyed floor, "Should have figured Tape Arms would screw something up."

"Bakugo..." Jiro muttered, her voice shaking as she stepped back. Her body still aching from the earlier attack, and her mind crippled with indecision, and fear.

"But you're the only one left, so I'll make this QUICK!" Bursting forward, Bakugo thrust his hand at her, unleashing another blast as he closed in.

"MOVE!" Jiro's eyes widened, as she felt herself get shoved from behind, "Agh!" The familiar voice cried, as Jiro hit the ground and her savior took the hit.

Looking back, she felt heat building behind her eyes as Asui hit the far wall, "No! Tsu!"

"Moron," Bakugo scoffed, "Should have taken that opportunity to hit me, while my guard was down... You idiots are too focused with protecting each other, and it'll make you FAIL missions like this!"

Jiro was paralyzed, heart racing as Bakugo walked past her and towards Asui, who was struggling to get up, "N-No... Don't... B-Bakugo!"

"Shut up, I'll knock you out in a second, once I finish off frogger here..." He dismissed her as a threat completely, "She's the only one on your team I was really worried about at all anyways... You two are too weak, and you can't even control your Quirk! At least Frogger here keeps a level head! But you, no you're a shaking, scared little girl in the face of my power... You don't even deserve to be here if you're going to act like that!"

And in that moment, the way he waved her off, looking down on her as he did everyone. She felt something twisted up inside of her finally snap. Jiro clenched her fists, biting her lip to keep the heat behind her eyes from spilling over, "Bakugo... SHUT! UP!"

"Huh?" Turning fast, he barely had enough time to bring his arms up and defend himself as Jiro launched forward off the ground. Having amped her legs with her jacks, she was able to cross the distance in a split second. Cocking back her fist, she slammed her forearm into his stomach after quickly connecting the jack to it, "GAH!" Bakugo gagged as she knocked the wind out of him, sending him flying back and hitting one of the few remaining walls.

Jiro's legs were shaking from the overcharge, her heart racing making it even more dangerous using this amped up ability. She clenched her shaking right hand tightly, tears spilling over slowly as her legs and arm throbbed with pain. "I... I'm still standing," She panted, gritting her teeth and forcing herself to lock eyes with him, "I'm still here!"

"Ngh... Still going? So you finally done shaking in your boots?" Bakugo grumbled, shaking off the attack and catching is breath, "I must have knocked something loose when I hit you earlier!" He sneered, rushing at her in full sprint, his gauntlet glowing as he prepared to unleash its stored up power!

"I won't run away... I will keep standing!" Jiro's breathing steadied, clenching her sore, shaking fist as both jacks connected to her arm. Lunging forward as well, they both unleashed their power. Connecting knuckles to palm, the super sonic burst of Jiro's vibrating arm released a shockwave against his explosion of flames and smoke. Both students were sent flying into walls, hitting them hard and falling to the floor, above them the force of the connecting attacks had blown away a good portion of the ceiling allowing sunlight to shine in.

 **. . .**

"I thought you'd call off the exercise if they started tearing up the buildings?" Kirishima questioned, watching the destruction that had taken place.

"No, I said I would if anyone abused the fact that this was just an exercise," Aizawa corrected, "Look the direction Bakugo has been blasting, he's deliberately avoiding the room that Koda is hidden in."

Kaminari sighed, "It kills me a little every time I realize how good Bakugo is..."

Adachi crossed his arms in annoyance, "Tell me about it..."

"This round is over anyways... They've got less than Two minutes left."

 **. . .**

"A-Asui!" Fumikage managed to call out to her as he regained his senses, the frog girl barely standing.

"Tokoyami," She winced, holding her ribs, "J-Just wait I'll-"

"No! Forget about me," He ordered, trapped beneath the rubble, "Koda is in the room at the opposite end of the hall! He has to be it's the only intact room left! Get him out of here! We've barely got any time left!"

"As if I'd let you losers BEAT ME!" Bakugo roared, aiming at them with both hands, unleashing an explosion trying to blast Asui away completely.

But Jiro made another amped leap, getting between them and jacking into the amps on her costume. Firing off her own sonic blast wave that cancelled out Bakugo's attack. With her heart racing and forcing more power into the amps her burst was stronger this time, much to the wild boys annoyance, "Ngh! G-Go Asui... I'll try to slow him down as much as I can!" Her chest started to hurt, like her heart might explode from another sonic blast like that.

Bakugo's eyes widened, seeing that Jiro's arm from the punch before was limp at her side. Completely numb and covered in burns from the blast of his attack, with a good portion of her jacket and costume completely destroyed, "You think you can stop me loser!? You're just a WEAKLING!"

"Y-You're absolutely right..." Jiro muttered, "I can't control my new power well enough yet, but maybe... Maybe that's okay..." Even as the pain had tears running down her cheeks, she felt a small smile creeping across her lips, "That's why I'm here... To learn and get better!"

Bakugo clenched his teeth, "I'm done playing with you!"

"What a coincidence," Jiro clenched her teeth, "So am I! ASUI GO!" Just as Bakugo tried to make his move, Jiro started breathing faster. Unleashing sonic waves through her amps, not as strong as before, but forcing Bakugo back on his heels, _"I-It hurts... My chest is on fire!"_

"Agh! Dammit! Stupid noise makers!" He growled, plugging his ears, trying to move forward.

"Agh!" Jiro clenched tightly in pain, keeping up the steady flow of sonic pulses, "My Quirk has its limits and... In a real fight, you would completely destroy me..." She panted, heart racing faster as she kept going, "But... That's okay, because I'm doing just fine! Who needs to be number one anyways?" Even as she spoke, her sonic attacks were slowly wearing out, her already dwindling stamina taking a nose dive.

Just as her powers completely petered out, Bakugo looked like he might launch another furious attack as he stormed towards her, "Alright you little-"

He was cut off by the sounding of an alarm. "Time is up, Villain Team Wins... Now please get out of the burning building, dead students are a lot of paperwork... I'm joking, but please hurry."

"Even after all that..." Bakugo muttered, as Jiro slumped down against the wall behind her, his eyes scanning over her as he approached slowly, "Putting your body through all that... You still lost." He stated bluntly, glaring down at her, while Dark Shadow began helping Tokoyami get out of the rubble. Jiro didn't bother looking up at him, too tired for an argument, she wiped her eyes, a faint smile on her face, "So why the hell are you smiling!?"

Jiro took a moment before responding, even trying to stand up before her legs failed her and she fell back on her butt, "You probably don't care but... That fight I, I think it helped me out... Made me realize, I'm happy with what I can do." She explained, "So, Bakugo... Thanks."

Katsuki blinked in surprise, not expecting that at all. Before he brushed it off, "Tch, whatever..." He knelt down, grabbing her by the arms to lift her up, not hesitating as she hissed in pain, "Quit whining! You don't want to burn to death do you?!" He demanded harshly, pulling her good arm over his shoulder and helping walk her out of the slow burning building.

Tokoyami followed close behind them, Dark Shadow carrying Shoji while Asui and Koda retrieved Sero downstairs, "Bakugo, are you being helpful?" He questioned in an amused tone, "I never thought I'd see the day..."

"CAN IT, BIRD BRAIN!"

 **. . .**

"Honestly, do you children even know the meaning of restraint!?"

Later that day, in the nurses office, Recovery Girl was fuming at the various students that remained. The only ones with injuries that warranted serious treatment were Midoriya, Adachi and Jiro. But Asui and Tokoyami were sticking around afterwards anyways after they'd been all patched up. The injured students sitting in beds as Recovery Girl kept going while the others stood by the door.

"I swear, you are all lucky your practical exam is tomorrow or I'd leave you unhealed for awhile as punishment!" She huffed, glaring at Izuku after finishing up healing Jiro, "Especially you! I told you I wouldn't heal injuries like that anymore, so you better not mess up again, understand?"

"Y-Yes ma'am." He nodded his head respectfully, "I'm sorry..."

"We both got a little carried away," Adachi sighed, nervously scratching his head, "Sorry about your costume, hopefully they can repair it before tomorrow."

"Don't worry about it," Midoriya waved him off, "That was amazing, I didn't realize how tough you were... I almost had to use a full powered punch to take you down!"

"That wasn't even your full power?" Kaiji blinked in shock.

"Afraid not." He laughed nervously, "That was closer to around Fifty percent..."

Kaiji sighed shaking his head, "Sheesh Midoriya, if that was just fifty percent, I doubt I'd even survive you at One Hundred!" He laughed lightly. "You got really fired up out there, I'm glad I brought out your best."

"Hmph, commending such action," Recovery Girl shook her head, "Either way, you're all free to go... But Young Jiro will need to come back in the morning," She added, turning to her, "Your muscles were badly torn by overusing your Quirk, you were too tired to heal it all so you may experience some soreness and trouble exerting yourself... I'll finish you up in the morning before your Exam."

"R-Right, thank you." Kyoka nodded, looking at her bandaged hand. Her muscles still throbbing a bit from the soreness, "I really messed myself up huh?"

"And Bakugo didn't take it easy on you either," Kaiji narrowed his eyes a bit, "That jerk... He's lucky I wasn't-"

"Actually..." Jiro interrupted, smiling softly as she stared at her hand, "I'm... Kinda glad he didn't."

Adachi blinked, "What do you mean?"

"Remember during the Sports Festival, when Bakugo fought Ochako?" Jiro asked, clenching her bandaged hand to test its strength, "Remember what Mr. Aizawa said?"

 _"Bakugo's fierceness is an acknowledgement of his opponents strength, he knows she deserved to have made it this far."_ The words echoed in Adachi's mind, his eyes widening in surprise.

"He may have said a lot of crap," Jiro laughed lightly, "But he's not so bad, I don't think..."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Kaiji pressed, "I heard how crazy you've been during training..."

"Training?" Midoriya muttered confused, _"Have they been training outside of school together? Ashido and Kirishima makes sense, they all live nearby, but Jiro? How did she get involved..."_ He looked to Asui, who shared his confused look.

"Sorry about that," Jiro sighed, rubbing the back of her head, "I guess... During our rescue training, the first day back, I got so close to beating Bakugo... I was never a top student, I've always just kinda floated around above average," She explained calmly, "It... It made me want to try harder, and push myself... But after that fight I..." Her smile came creeping back faintly, "I think I'm doing just fine, I don't need to be number one, I'm happy where I am right now."

"There is nothing wrong with settling for second best." Tokoyami nodded, smirking faintly, "You did great out there, and I know, I had a front row seat trapped under that rubble."

Asui laughed a little at that, "Oh yeah, good thing Dark Shadow woke up because I don't think anyone else was strong enough to dig you out after that fight or carry Shoji to safety."

Recovery Girl sighed, leaning back in chair, "You children are simply too much sometimes..."

"You love our enthusiasm though right?" Kaiji asked with a big stupid grin.

"... Well... Yes..."

As the students laughed, Jiro smiled and looked out the nearby window, taking a moment to soak in her new revelation. Feeling her mind... At ease, for the first time in awhile, _"Eternity of flying, singing right into the skyyy~"_

With their final round of training completed, a final piece of experience before the end, all they had to look to now was their Practical Exam. It would be a trial by fire, and many of them might not even pass. But before the end of tomorrow they would be pushed to overcome weaknesses, those who do would advance even further. And those who couldn't... Well, they wouldn't be going camping... Truly a horrible fate.


	41. The Surprise Call and a Change of Plans!

**Time for a transitory chapter! I will say I am incredible apprehensive to what you will all think of my decision here. Hopefully my reasoning makes sense, though it's not the most inspired idea it is part of Adachi's next stage of development.**

* * *

Adachi was just getting up, stretching as he left the bathroom after washing up for school. Today was the big day, Exam Time. He wasn't too worried, knowing they'd just be fighting a bunch of robots, so he didn't think much about it. The boy was confident that his own power would be enough to handle any metallic monstrosities the teachers threw their way, though he was sure there would be some kind of catch.

Once dressed, he made his way to the kitchen, "Morning." Kaiji greeted his mother and father, taking a seat at the table.

"Kaiji! You're never gonna believe this!" Shisui exclaimed, rushing over and setting down a plate in front of him.

Adachi blinked, staring at a couple of well made eggs, "Uh... It's eggs?"

"Eggs that _I_ made!" She declared proudly, while Kento stifled a laugh nearby, "SEE! I told you both I could get the hang of this cooking thing." She added, placing her hands on her hips, "Being a housewife isn't that hard!"

"Yes very good dear." Kento chuckled as he sipped his coffee.

"I'm so proud of you," Kaiji added with a sarcastic grin, looking past her, "By the way, I think the toast is burning..."

"Huh?" Shisui blinked, turning her head to the rising pillar of smoke, "SHIT!"

"Language!" Kento barked.

"Shoot! I said shoot!" She shouted back while unplugging the toaster, and waving off the black smoke.

"You most certainly did not!"

Kaiji laughed aloud as they bickered, about to dig into those tasty looking eggs when the phone started ringing. Seeing as the other two were preoccupied, he got up to answer it. Pulling the device to his ear, "Hello?"

"Oh thank goodness, I was hoping to catch you before school." Kaiji's nearly dropped the phone, as a familiar voice sounded. One he hadn't heard in over a month now, and one he was honestly afraid he'd never hear again...

"Darius..." He muttered, apparently just loud enough to silence his parents nearby who stopped their bickering instantly.

"I know, I'm probably the last person you want to talk to after what I did..." He sighed heavily into the receiver, "But I just-"

"How are you doing?" Kaiji interrupted him quickly, a bit of excitement creeping into his voice, "Is your son okay? Did Gryphon recover? How long are you gonna be in jail? Is there anytime I could come visit?"

Darius was silent for a moment, before a bit of sad laughter sounded through the phone, "Kaiji... I- You have no idea how glad I am to hear..." Shaking it off, Darius decided to save the waterworks for later, "I'm doing fine, and so is Junior, he was shaken up a bit by the whole thing but he's fine... In fact, I think he's even more set on becoming a hero now... And Gryphon is doing just fine, but he won't be okay for hero work until he goes through more physical therapy and recovery, though he certainly loves showing off his new scars." He chuckled, "As for my sentence, in light of my service I'm only looking at maybe Ten or Twelve years, Six with good behavior, unfortunately there is no way I get back my Hero License." He explained, "As for visiting hours, pretty much any time between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM."

"Good to know, I'll have to come by sometime," Adachi nodded, "I have so many things to tell you... But I can't talk long right now, my Practical Exam is today and I-"

"Th-That's what I wanted to talk to you about!" Darius interrupted quickly, with an almost nervous tone in his voice for a brief second, "I don't know exactly what the Exam is going to be, but I want you to know I'm rooting for you! And can't wait to here how good you did!"

Adachi's chest swelled with pride, "Darius I'll... I'll do my best! I'll pass this exam I know it!"

Darius chucked in response, "Oh, I know you can do it, you're far better than I was at your age... Good luck Kaiji!"

Adachi nodded, "Thank you Darius... And I'll be sure to come visit you sometime soon... Maybe this weekend? I could give you all the details in person!"

"Take your time," The older hero chuckled, "I'm certainly not going anywhere!"

The sound that followed filled Kaiji with more hope than he could've imagined. He hung up the phone, with Darius' infectious, boisterous laughter still ringing in his ears, _"Darius... I won't let you down, I promise!"_

 **. . .**

On the other end, as Darius hung up the phone his smile faded away, _"Why? Why didn't I just say it?... No, I can tell him later, he doesn't need to be worrying about his power right now."_ He decided, setting the phone down, and nodding to the guard as he was escorted back to his cell, _"He would never reach that point anyways..."_

 **. . .**

After arriving at school and meeting up with everyone, Aizawa quickly told the students to head to the locker rooms and get into costume. They weren't wasting any time waiting to start the Practical Exam. But the students were all in high spirits, suiting up and making their way out to the plaza outside of a large building set in between several different training grounds. As the students began to arrive, they noticed a rather... Large number of teachers waiting for them.

"Now then, if everyone is here... Let's begin the last test," Aizawa started, hands on his sides while looking over the students, "Remember, it is possible to fail this Final, so if you want to go to camp don't make any stupid mistakes."

"But... Why are all the Teachers here?" Jiro asked confused.

Aizawa hid a faint smirk, "I assume some of you may have gathered information over the last week, and might have some idea of what you'll be facing here today."

"We're fighting those big'ole metal robots!" Kaminari declared excitedly.

Kaiji sweatdropped as Ashido joined him in a cheer, "Fireworks! Smores! Camping here we come!"

"Actually things will be a completely different this year!" A familiar, muffled voice sounded as something small started pushing its way out of Aizawa's scarf, the body of Principal Nezu popping free, "For various reasons!"

 _"Th-The principal is here!?"_ Adachi thought worriedly, getting a bad feeling about this.

"Wait you're changing things?" Yaoyorozu questioned in surprise.

"The tests now have a new focus!" Nezu explained while climbing down to the ground, "There will be hero work of course, but there will also be teamwork! And combat between actual people, so what does that mean for you, our wonderful students? Well it means you'll be put into teams and go against one of our esteemed UA Teachers, isn't that fabulous!?"

Adachi could practically feel the chills running down everyone's spine, as well as his own, "W-We're fighting the teachers!?" Uraraka exclaimed.

"Additionally, your partners and your opponents have already been chosen," Aizawa chimed back in, "They were determined at my discretion based on various factors, including fighting style, grades and interpersonal relationship."

Kaiji's eyes widened, "So that training yesterday! That was just to analyze the changes to our Quirks wasn't it!" He accused, "I knew that sudden schedule change was weird but didn't think much of it... But you must have wanted to reassess how our Quirks work and how we fight after so much has changed!"

Aizawa put on a sinister grin, "That's absolutely right, luckily most of you haven't changed too much, those that were left out of the exercise, the hostages, were people I didn't believe were in need of a new assessment." The class looked terrified, at how easily he'd played them into showing off their abilities, "Some of your match ups will be dependent on skill, such as you two," He pointed to Todoroki and Yaoyorozu, "Who will be facing me... And others based on psychological factors, Adachi, Midoriya and Bakugo will be up against..."

A figure came crashing down from above, landing beside the other teachers and fully suited up, "I am here!" All Might declared.

"W-We're up against ALL MIGHT!?" All three students exclaimed in horror.

"That's right, you'll have to work together against me boys! If you want to win!" He laughed in amusement.

 **. . .**

 **Yesterday**

 **. . .**

"I wanted to inform you of a slight change I discussed with the Principal." Aizawa explained, standing before All Might in his true form, "About your fight with Bakugo and Midoriya..."

"What about it? Have you changed your mind?" He questioned curiously, sitting back in his chair.

Aizawa shook his head, "No, I'm adding Adachi to your match as well."

"What? Why?" All might questioned confused, "Wasn't he set to fight Cementoss?"

"After combat training today, I realize that wasn't a very good match up," Aizawa explained with a shrug, "Without transforming, Adachi would be too fast for Cementoss in those weights, and he said something interesting during the training."

 _"My time limit in this form, is one hour, last time I checked..."_

"Sato and Kirishima would be running on pretty small timers in comparison," He continued casually, "But, even if Adachi did rely on his brute strength he has the endurance and smarts to realize it isn't working and find a way around... No, after training I went over his file and looked up some of the recent events he's been apart of."

All Might crossed his arms, curiosity peaked, "So what did that tell you?"

"It told me he's got a serious problem with taking on more than he can handle." Aizawa stated simply, "He does rely on brute strength, but he also never backs down from a fight... The same could be said about Bakugo, but at the same time Bakugo hasn't exhibited such a tendency for getting himself maimed, just a bad attitude..."

All Might brought a hand to his pointed chin, "You know... You might be right." The boys words from months ago echoing in his mind.

 _"No matter what limbs I lost, bones I broke, blood I spilled... I held on."_

"I didn't realize he was taking some of those ideals in a literal sense..." All Might admitted, "But is it really as bad as you think?"

"Dokuga, he charged in to save DK's kid recklessly when the villains were clearly waiting for the Hero, and he tried to take Zodiac head on at their Agency," Aizawa listed off, "He went after Tomura Shigaraki at Tagua Prison, and at the USJ he tried to fight that Noumu head on, even after losing both his arms in a reckless attack on Shigaraki," He shook his head grimly, "The point is, he acts without thinking of his own well being, the kid is going to get killed if this keeps up..."

"He acts like a Hero, Aizawa." All Might corrected, before releasing a sigh, "But I understand... He's almost died so many times... But what does that have to do with putting him against me?"

"It isn't just about putting him against you, it's also about teaming him up with Midoriya." Aizawa went on with a shrug, "Midoriya is smart enough to know they don't stand a chance at actually beating you... But Adachi will likely try to bulk up and take you head on, Bakugo right beside him if I had to guess."

"So you want me to show him that he can't win every fight with bodily sacrifice and determination?" All Might questioned crossing his arms.

"No," Aizawa shook his head, "I want you to crush him." All Might's body tensed up, "He needs to learn from it, so beat the lesson in his head."

"So you're telling me to blatantly make this student fail his exam?" All Might asked with a scoff, "Are you out of your mind?"

"He can handle a little extra school work," Aizawa waved him off, "And hey, maybe I'm wrong, maybe he's not an idiot and will follow along with what Midoriya says... If not, make him fail, and hope that he learns something from it... For anyone else I might worry about it hurting his confidence but, well that kid seems hell bent on getting better, losing to you will only fan that flame and hopefully make him more cautious."

All Might felt a ghost of a smile spread across his lips, seeing past the initially cruelty of the request, "You want him to do better... You've taken a shine to that boy haven't you Aizawa?"

"Don't read too much into it," Aizawa scoffed, turning to walk away, "Maybe I just feel like I owe him... After all,"

 _"D-Don't... Let me... Down... D-Don't hold... Anything back..."_

"I was the one who put him on this path in the first place..."

 **. . .**

 _"I'd rather not hurt them too badly but..."_ All Might's eyes scanned the three students he'd be facing, resting them on Adachi, _"You told me before you could take the evil this world has to offer... Show me Adachi, show me how strong you are."_

"Now then! Let's go over the teachers and the student's they'll be fighting in order!" Nezu said excitedly, as a holo screen appeared before them.

 **Round One!**

 **Cementoss VS Kirishima and Sato**

 **Round Two!**

 **Ectoplasm VS Tokoyami and Asui**

 **Round Three!**

 **Power Loader VS Iida and Ojiro**

 **Round Four!**

 **Eraser Head VS Todoroki and Yaoyorozu**

 **Round Five!**

 **Thirteen VS Aoyama and Uraraka**

 **Round Six!**

 **Principal Nezu VS Ashido and Kaminari**

 **Round Seven!**

 **Present Mic VS Koda and Jiro**

 **Round Eight!**

 **Snipe VS Hagakura and Shoji**

 **Round Nine!**

 **Midnight VS Sero and Mineta**

 **Round Ten!**

 **All Might VS Adachi, Bakugo and Midoriya!**

"To complete the Exam you'll have Thirty Minutes," Nezu continued explaining, "Your objective to win is to place these handcuffs on your teacher!" He said, holding up the devices, "Or you may also win by managing to escape from the combat stage through a designated Gate!"

"So we have to capture the teacher or run away..." Kaminari questioned, crossing his arms, "Its kinda like the combat training."

"Hold on is it really alright to just bail out?" Ashido asked confused.

"That's right!" Nezu answered with a thumbs up.

"This is gonna much different then that combat training you all went through before," Present Mic grinned, "After all you're up against people who are WAAAY better than you!"

"Better?" Jiro questioned, tilting her head, "Aren't you just an announcer?"

"HEY WATCH YOUR MOUTH GIRL!" He exploded dramatically, "HAVE SOME RESPECT!"

"This time your exam will be very similar to a real battle," Thirteen added in, holding up a finger, "So please try to think of us as villains."

Snipe spoke up next, "Assuming you come across your enemy, if you think you can win against them then fight, however..."

"In instances where you're outmatched, it would be smarter to run away and find help." Aizawa picked up, "Todoroki, Iida, Midoriya, I'm sure the three of you understand..."

"So we either fight to win, or run to win." Midoriya muttered, looking to Adachi, the two sharing a nod.

"Of course with these odds you're probably thinking that you're only chance is to run!" All Might exclaimed, "That's why the support course," He began digging around in an unseen pocket, "Made these super clever accessories for us!"

As he pulled out the device, Adachi blinked, "I saw something like that at DK's training area... Are those weights?"

"That's right!" Present Mic sounded with enthusiasm, "BEHOLD! Ultra Compressed Weights!"

The teachers began strapping the braces onto arms and legs, as All Might explained, "These babies will add about half our body weight to our physiques, its not much, but they will eat up our stamina and make it harder for us to move around!" He finished strapping the last one to his arm and yelped, "Oh shoot! That's heavier than I thought!"

"You think we need a handicap to win against you?" Bakugo grumbled, finally speaking up as his eyes burned into All Might, "Well think again."

"HA HA HA haaa..." All Might's laugh slowly changed, his face twisting into wicked amusement, his left eye glowing, "This'll be fun..."

"Let's begin," Aizawa interrupted, "You'll be going in the order your teams were called, Sato, Kirishima, you're up, we have a stage prepared for you."

"Yes Sir!" Both of them nodded.

"Everyone else, you're free to watch in the observation room or get ready for you Exam." As the group of Teachers turned and began making their way inside, "That's all..."

As people started moving out and discussing ideas, Adachi turned to his red haired friend, "Hey, good luck out there." Kaiji said with a grin, "I know you can handle it."

"Ha! Yeah of course," Kirishima laughed, clenching his fists with excitement, "I'd hate to be you though, I can't wait to see your match."

Adachi released a small sigh, "Yeah, it's gonna be impossible, probably..."

"Beating All Might? Yeah."

"I meant getting Midoriya and Bakugo to work together..."


	42. Soar Onward, Ashido!

**I'm glad people are on board with the VS All Might plan lol I was super nervous people would see it as trying to shaft Adachi into the spotlight of the main cast. The fight will be next chapter, and I can assure everyone that the other still get their shining moments as in the show lol**

 **Lil'Manuel G: Oh no no no no no! I'd rather hear criticism than nothing at all! I appreciate the long thought out review and appreciate the compliments! As far as the name thing goes, I guess I was trying to keep it more in line with how the show does and just Japan in general. To call someone by their first name when not part of the family implies more personal relationship, so people like Ashido and Kirishima calling him Kaiji instead of Adachi makes more sense. But people like Teachers have to be more formal so they would use the last name instead. I'm sorry it was harder to follow and caused some confusion. I also started doing it more because it added more... Idk, flavor to the text? Like instead of saying Kaiji in every single sentence referring to him you know?**

 **Anyways! Small warning, this is the OTHER chapter I feel like suffered from me being short on time. After I did this one I kinda spent the better part of a week just working on the upcoming fight next chapter. I'm not sure if I can totally say this chapter "Suffered" but I do feel it is... Just average? Sub par? I guess you can all decide lol but I'm not 100% happy with this one.**

* * *

"Dammit I said wait!" Adachi managed to refrain from flinching, as his hand landed on Bakugo's shoulder and the ill tempered boy turned a glare of death upon him, before shrugging off Kaiji's hand.

"I don't need to talk strategy with you loser," He scoffed, "Why don't you go sit around with that nerd and watch the others?"

"Oh come on you can't possibly be stupid enough to think you're just going to blow your way through All Might!" Adachi argued, "He's waaay too powerful!"

Bakugo grit his teeth, "So what? You gonna tell me we should plan to just run away?"

"I didn't say that," Adachi answered, narrowing his eyes, "Look... We haven't really been on good terms recently, but I think we can both agree we want to pass this with the best score possible," He explained, finally seeming to earn Bakugo's attention, "You hate backing down from a fight, and you know I've never run from one." He smirked, spreading his arms, "So let's put your speed and skills together with my monstrous strength, and see if we can't cuff him!?"

"Hmph, you think I need _your_ help to beat him?" Bakugo blew him off completely, continuing on his walk, "No, I'll crush him without your help or that damn nerd..."

Adachi quirked an eyebrow at him, before he blurted out the question, "What is so wrong with Midoriya huh?" Bakugo stopped immediately and turned those hateful eyes on him. But Kaiji didn't stop there, deciding to see if he could get anything out of him, "Why do you hate him so much?"

"That bastard shouldn't even be here," Bakugo growled lowly, clenching his fists, "I don't care if he does have a Quirk, he's been a loser his entire life, and that won't change! No matter how many of my moves he copies, or what he learns!"

"You hate him because he's doing better?" Kaiji blinked confused, "That is... The stupidest thing I've ever heard!" He exclaimed, shaking his head in bewilderment, "So Midoriya should have just, what, said screw it with his amazing power and sat around doing nothing his entire life!?" He demanded, "He's going to be a great hero, that power could save a lot of people! And so could yours if you got a handle on your garbage attitude!"

"You bastard," Bakugo grit his teeth, raising one of his hands slowly, "Walk away right now or I'll-"

He was interrupted by an alarm going off.

 **"Sato and Kirishima have been knocked out, Exam Over."**

Adachi's eyes widening, "There exam just started a few minutes ago... It... It was over that fast?" He muttered in shock, forgetting all about Bakugo. Turning back towards the observation building, he quickly broke into a sprint towards it.

Deciding Midoriya had to be more willing to work together than Bakugo.

 **. . .**

"Adachi," Ashido blinked, poking her head out of the waiting room as he stormed by. The alarms sounding that Iida and Ojiro had passed went off just moments ago meaning Yaoyorozu and Todoroki were up, "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"To the observation area," He answered quickly, stopping as he realized she was holding a soda, "Uh... What are you doing?"

"Just waiting for my exam with Kaminari," She shrugged casually, "Sucks about Kirishima though... Looks like he won't be coming to the camp with us."

"Ashido..." He blinked as he eyed her over, taking in her casual disposition, "Are you and Kaminari planning anything for your exam?"

"Uh... No not really." Ashido answered, earning a rather stern look from Adachi she wasn't expecting, "Whoa hey, what's wrong?"

"I know you're confident in your new powers," Kaiji began, already tensed up after Kirishima's loss, "But do you really think you can just walk over this Exam?" As well as knowing what he'd be facing later...

"I'm not stupid Kaiji," She huffed, crossing her arms, "I know I need to be cautious... But even if Nezu is crazy strong I can just fly away!"

"And you don't think they might have planned ahead for that?" He questioned, "Mr. Aizawa said the combat training yesterday was meant to get a read on our new abilities... And you certainly showed off some of your tricks."

"Y-Yeah well..." It was clear as day that Mina hadn't even considered that, "Whatever! I'll be fine you worry about your Exam and I'll worry about mine!"

"I can't just not worry," He scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest, "You're my friend, and I want you to do well too... You were so excited for this camping trip, I would hate to see you left out because you got careless!"

"I'm not being careless!" She barked back at him sharply, "I don't need you looking over my shoulder all the time, I can handle this myself! So why don't you just worry about yours own problems for once!"

Adachi was taken back for a moment by her increase in volume and harsh words, "I... Fine." He said simply, shaking his head, "Whatever, good luck... I'll be watching probably." Kaiji added, turning around and walking away, towards the observation room.

As he passed out of earshot, Kaminari stuck his head out the door, "Uh... You alright? That didn't sound so good..."

"I'm fine," She sighed, releasing the tension as she looked down at her hands, staring at her burn scars, "I don't know why he was in such a mood, he's never acted like that around me before."

"Could be he's worried?" Kaminari shrugged, "Or he's just on edge... He is going up against the number one hero today." He quickly added, "I hate to count him out, but even with Midoriya and Bakugo, well... I honestly don't think any of them will be passing the practical exam."

"Maybe..." She muttered, eyes fixated on her scars. Ashido began to remember Adachi's scars as well, and the wounds Jiro and Tokoyami suffered at the hands of Zodiac, before clenching her fists tightly, "Come on lets go check out the area we'll be taking our Exam in."

 **. . .**

 **"Team Todoroki and Yaoyorozu have passed the Exam!"**

"Oh geez I missed them too," Kaiji groaned as he entered the observation room, "I knew I shouldn't have wasted my time with Bakugo... Not to mention I got turned around a few times in this place..." He admitted rather reluctantly.

"Adachi," Midoriya turned, smiling at him along with Asui, "You have any luck with our team mate?"

"No not really," He sighed, stepping up beside them, "I passed Uraraka on my way in, hope she does well against Thirteen..."

"Figured as much..." Midoriya admitted, shaking his head, "But hey, we can still try to figure something out while we watch the others right?"

Adachi nodded, "Yeah, definitely!"

"You know, _ribbit,_ if anyone in our class had a chance at really beating All Might," Asui chimed in finally, "I'd definitely say it's you three."

Kaiji laughed bashfully at that, "You think so? Gee, thanks Tsu, sorry I missed your Exam by the way, I'm glad you passed." He added with a grin, "Where's Tokoyami?"

"Thanks," Asui nodded, "He said he was going to rest Dark Shadow a bit and then join us to watch but... I don't know how long that will take."

"Well hopefully he doesn't miss too many of the others." Midoriya added, turning his attention to the screens as Uraraka and Aoyama appeared it. They were somewhere in the center of the USJ, they goal obviously being the entrance.

"Looks like they're about to begin..." Adachi stated, watching the screens.

"Fingers crossed, _ribbit._ "

Uraraka and Aoyama's Exam was pretty fast, though they spent the better part of it trying not to get sucked into Thirteen's Black Hole. In the end, Uraraka herself managed to take down Thirteen with some clever use of the rescue heroes own Quirk. Definitely putting some of what she learned at Gun Heads Agency to work, taking down Thirteen with a skilled grapple and cuffing her once Aoyama jumped in as well. And with their Exam finished, Adachi watched the next area on the screens closely.

 _"Come on Ashido... One of us has to pass this Exam!"_

 **. . .**

Ashido and Kaminari were running beneath the many pipes throughout training field Gamma. The alarm had sounded and the exam had begun, so they had to escape the facility before time ran out. Though, at the moment, Ashido's thoughts were far away from her surroundings...

"Hey!" Denki shouted suddenly, nearly making her trip as she was brought back to reality, "You hear me? I said maybe we should just keep running until we find the exit! You can fly too can't you? Maybe you should just head for it now."

"My wings are muscles too," She answered, shaking off the thoughts gnawing at her mind, "I can't stay in the air forever, but once we're closer to the gate I'll get us out of here no problem!"

"Awesome!" Kaminari grinned, giving a thumbs up, "Even if we do run into the Principal he's so tiny it'll be easy to just run away!"

"Yeah, that's right." Mina nodded, turning her eyes forward, _"Just run away... That's all I have to do."_

The two started slowing down, as loud metal creaking sounded around them. Echoing throughout the empty training area, bolts popping out of places, bending pipes, "Wh-What is that?" Kaminari asked as he slowly came to a stop.

"It couldn't be Principal Nezu... Could it?!" Mina asked fearfully, looking around and trying to find the source of the noise.

Something finally snapped, Kaminari looked straight up, gasping as he saw a massive pipe falling down towards them, "AGH! Lookout!" He cried, diving out of the way.

Ashido followed right behind him, rolling across the ground before breaking into a sprint. A hail of metal debris falling behind them as they ran, "What's happening!? How could the Principal do this!?"

"I don't know just keep RUNNING!"

"WHERE!?" She cried out, trying to think as hard as she could on a way out of this. With so much debris falling on them, Ashido knew trying to take flight was out of the question.

"To this exit!" He answered, taking a sharp turn, "This way I think!"

They turned around another corner, Mina following his lead, before they slid to a halt panting for breath. The road before them was completely blocked off, "Oh COME ON!" Mina exclaimed in frustration.

"He's predicting our movements!" Denki added, trying to catching his breath as more debris blocked the path behind them, "But how is he breaking all this stuff!?"

"We have to keep moving!" Ashido said, splashing some acid on a nearby wall and burning her way through it, "COME ON!"

As they ran inside, taking shelter in the dark factory building the two students had to stop and catch their breath while thinking of a solution. Kaminari leaning against one of the walls holding his chest, "Ugh... W-We can't keep up like this! We'll run out of time or get crushed..."

"I have to get into the air... And find him." Ashido said, letting out her wings finally, spreading them wide and getting the insectoid limbs stretched out, "At the very least splitting up will give us a better chance... I'll try to find Nezu while you run for the exit!"

"Why don't you just leave me behind and fly for it yourself?" Denki asked curiously.

Adachi's words rang in her ears, _"And you don't think they might have planned ahead for that?"_

"Mr. Aizawa said combat training yesterday was to measure our new abilities," She replied, "Chances are... He might already have something planned for me if I just try to fly out of this place... So instead of running, I'm going to go after him, he probably won't expect that."

Kaminari nodded his head slowly, "I hope you're right... But still we should-" He stopped, as the ceiling above started to give way. Shattering open with heavy debris raining down, "Oh crap not AGAIN!"

"Hang on!" Ashido shouted, flapping her wings to get off the ground as the dust and debris settled on the floor She flew past him, grabbing Kaminari by the arm and flying out through the hole Nezu had made. Mina kept flapping her wings harder, trying to get up and clear of the industry surrounding them. Dust and smoke rising from various fires and falling buildings.

"Agh! C-Careful please!" Denki barked, gripping her hands fearfully as he looked at the ground far below.

A few metallic clangs sounded, faux power lines snapping, their wires put under tension in such a way that upon breaking they lashed out into the air towards Ashido. "Oh CRAP!" She exclaimed, narrowly dodging and swooping lower, getting closer to an open stretch of street, "East! Head East! That's where the gate is!" She commanded, letting go once he was close enough, before using her momentum to get higher up, "Alright Principal Nezu! I'm going to find you and-" Her words hitched in her throat, eyes widening in pain.

Another snapping wire had caught her mid lift, lashing her across the back like a metallic whip. Throwing her off course as it cut into her back, making her crash through a factory window, disappearing inside...

 **. . .**

"Ashido!" Kaiji gasped seeing her vanish.

"That didn't look good..." Asui muttered.

"Principal Nezu is way too good," Midoriya said in awe, "He's predicting every move they make... Even Ashido's new flight abilities are being completely shut down!"

"Dammit... I told her they should figure out a plan before hand," Adachi grumbled, clenching his fists, "They both completely underestimated the Principal..."

"Not sure how you plan for something like this..." Iida replied, "Either way, I hope Ashido is alright." He added quickly, "That was a nasty fall..."

"I'll have to send someone to get her," Recovery Girl replied, "The glass alone could have seriously hurt her, not to mention the cable and the landing..."

In the end, Kaminari couldn't find the exit before being blocked by Principal Nezu. And with Ashido knocked out, they failed the exam as well...

 **. . .**

When Ashido opened her eyes, she was laying on her stomach on a bed. Her back hurt, and her arms were bandaged up, "There... That should seal the wound and the worst of the damage." Her head was facing the window, so she couldn't see those on the opposite side of her bed, but she recognized the voice of Recovery Girl, "She'll be fine with a bit more rest..."

"Good to know." Ashido did her best not to stiffen as she heard Adachi's voice, hoping he didn't notice she was awake. Knowing now that she had failed, the last thing she wanted was to hear an "I told you so." from her friend. She felt so stupid, lashing out at him when he was just trying to help. And look where it got her...

"You should probably get going," Recovery Girl stated, "I doubt Mineta and Sero will have a very long match against Midnight..."

"I know... This'll just take a second," He said with a small sigh. Ashido's cheeks flushing a little as she felt Kaiji take her hand, "Well Mina, looks like none of us are going to be camping this summer... I was hoping you or Kirishima might make it, but the more I think about it the more I don't really think I can beat All Might unless Midoriya and Bakugo start working together so... I guess we all get summer school." Adachi chuckled, "I've gotta go but... I'll be back to check in after my Exam, or I'll be a patient too."

The boy was about to pull his hand away, when he gasped, Ashido gripping it suddenly and revealing she was awake, "Kaiji... Don't hold anything back, give All Might everything you've got." She said softly, holding back her own tears, "E-Even if you lose, make it a loss so memorable th-that they'll have no choice but to let you pass the Exam!"

Adachi's eyes widened, flashing back suddenly, _"Don't hold anything back! Forget about us and give that monster EVERYTHING!"_

Nodding his head, with fire in his eyes, Kaiji gripped her hand tighter, "I will."


	43. The Hero I'm Going To Be!

**The wait is over! Strap yourselves in for a massive chapter! And boy do I mean MASSIVE! Taking the word count in, without this authors note, this chapter is 8,444 words! So I hope you've got an hour to read lol XD This was a monster to write and ate up the better part of my week. I've pulled no punches here and put hours into editing so hopefully I didn't miss anything but somethings always seems to slip through the cracks T~T**

 **Let's kick off this epic climax!**

* * *

 **"Team Midoriya, Bakugo and Adachi! Practical Exam, Ready... GO!"  
**

Kaiji could feel the apprehension starting to grip him as the doors behind them closed. Locking them inside this faux city, with their enemy waiting for them somewhere within. The three of them remained silent, only for a moment, before Bakugo started marching forward down main street. Midoriya hesitated for a moment, sharing a worried look with Adachi before rushing after him.

"Kacchan! Listen," He began as he walked alongside him, Kaiji following close behind, "For this Exam the Teacher is the Villain and we're the Heroes, so we need a solid plan." Midoriya stated, Bakugo not even looking at him, "Normally I would analyze our opponents abilities and decide whether or not we should run or fight... But against All Might I think that's already obvious, we can't beat him we should think of a way t-"

"Stop following me!" He barked at Midoriya, making him stop. Adachi remained silent, continuing on behind Katsuki.

"All Might is probably waiting for us on this main road." Kaiji pointed out calmly, weighing his own options, _"If I transform now, I can focus on using full power... But maybe I should save that energy to increase my speed and strength in this form so I'm not too slow... Unlike these two, I didn't get an in person view of All Might's power at the USJ so I don't really know what to expect."_

"I'm not gonna run away from this fight." Bakugo growled, not skipping a step as he moved forward, "It'll look better if we blast that smile off his face!"

"No, fighting him is out of the question!" Midoriya argued, "Adachi you can't agree with him here right!? We're facing All Might! We should be trying to avoid him at all costs!"

"I'm gonna toy with him until time is almost up," Bakugo continued before Adachi could respond, "Then I'll knock him out for real!"

"Will you just listen to me!" Midoriya rose his voice slightly, "I just want us all to pass this Exam!"

"I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!" Bakugo exploded, turning a fierce glare on Izuku, "I CAN WIN IT ALL BY MYSELF!"

Kaiji blinked, noticing what appeared to be an incoming typhoon, tearing through the street and racing towards them. "Uh... Guys?"

"WILL YOU STOP SHOUTING! THIS IS WHY WE CAN NEVER HAVE REAL CONVERSATIONS!" Midoriya screamed right back at him.

The blast of wind hit like a truck, throwing all three boys back down the street while simultaneously ripping up the asphalt. Most of the surrounding buildings were totally destroyed, windows blown out and doors ripped right off their hinges. Fake vehicles had been tossed around, signs torn down and fallen lamp posts filled the street around them as a figure stalked forward through the dust.

"Who really cares if I destroy this city?" The voice of All Might could be heard before they could see him. All three watching as the dust started clearing steadily.

 _"This feeling..."_ Adachi could feel his instincts kicking into overtime. A sudden sense of foreboding weighing on him as his heart began to pound in his chest, _"It's just like... No, that's impossible..."_ Looking into All Might's eyes, Kaiji felt the familiar sensation spreading through his body, _"It feels just like... My fight with Midoriya!"_

Raising his foot, All Might slammed it down and unleashed another gust of wind forcing the students to shield their eyes and dig in their heels. "If you think of this as an Exam and not a real fight you'll be sorry!" All Might warned, his left eye glowing blue as he glared at them with his big smile seeming far more sinister now, "I'm a villain now heroes, remember that... You'd better come at me with everything you've got! I won't pull my punches!"

"It's over if we fight him head on!" Midoriya exclaimed, turning tail, "We've gotta get out of here!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" Bakugo shouted back.

"Lookout!" Adachi cried as All Might blasted towards them.

"Kacchan NO!"

Katsuki rose one of his hands, smirking wickedly, "How about a stun grenade!?" Adachi quickly shielded his eyes while the blinding light was released. As All Might stopped his charge, Bakugo rushed forward to meet him head on, "You want everything I've got All Might!? LIKE THAT WASN'T MY PLAN! I nev-" He was cut off, as All Might grabbed him by the face with one massive muscular hand. However, without hesitation, Bakugo continued, "Never! Hold back DAMMIT!" His outstretched hand unleashing a hail of small blasts right into All Might's face.

"Agh! Ow ow ow ow!" All Might yelped as he was blasted, but didn't let go of the boy.

 _"Now's my chance!"_ Adachi realized, his scales glowing as he dashed forward towards the two, _"I'll hit him from behind!_ _"_ Cocking back his fist, his channeled energy into the limb to super charge his muscles.

All Might slammed Bakugo into the earth to stop his assault, "Those puny attacks can't hurt me they barely even sting!" Turning with inhuman speed, he caught Adachi by the wrist, "And you! You'd have to be a lot faster than that to get the drop on ME!" He exclaimed, throwing Adachi hard and sending him crashing into a barely standing lamp post.

"GAH!" Kaiji gasped, the impact denting the metal and knocking the wind out of him as the post finally broke and toppled over.

"And where do you think you're going!?" All might smirked, moving with blinding speed to cut off Midoriya's escape, "Don't think I've forgotten about you already young Midoriya! Were you really planning to run away? And leaving your team mates behind?" He questioned, eye glowing bright blue

 _"W_ _h-Why does he remind me so much of the Hero Killer right now!?"_ Midoriya questioned, activating his own power and blindly jumping back into the air to escape.

"Ah ah aah, Do you really think that's going to work?" All Might questioned without moving to stop him.

"Ngh! M-MOVE IT!"

"Kacchan!?"

Adachi winced, watching as Midoriya and Bakugo collided hard mid air, the former trying desperately to escape while the latter was focused only on attacking. As they hit the ground, Adachi got to his feet, _"These two are ridiculous!"_ He groaned, shaking off his own pain as he glared at All Might looking for some kind of opening while desperately trying to think of a strategy, _"Come on Midoriya! Where is that power you used on me during our training yesterday!? Don't tell me you're that scared of All Might!""_

"K-Kacchan..." Just as Midoriya was getting up, Bakugo was already marching towards All Might once again.

"Out of the way!" He ordered sharply.

"Haven't you been listening to me!?" Izuku demanded, "It'd be insane to keep trying to fight him head on!"

"Shut up scum! I WILL win this!" Bakugo declared, continuing forward towards the Number One Hero, "That's what it means... To be a Hero Deku!"

Midoriya hesitated for a moment, before reaching forward and grabbing him by the shoulder, "At the very least we should be trying to avoid him!"

"Get you hands off of me!"

"Will you two just get it together!?" Adachi finally snapped at both of them, "Are you heroes or children!? We're screwed if you two don't-"

"Incoming, Heroes!" All Might's voice sounded from above, all eyes turning upward as he fell upon them with a chunk of ruined railing under his feet, "I have a special gift! For the one who wants to RUN!" Slamming down hard, Midoriya was pinned to the ground by the broken railing, locking him in place. And just as Bakugo lunged forward to blast him, All Might buried his fist in the boys stomach, sending him flying with a single punch.

"Gaah!" Bakugo gagged, the blow forcing the contents of his stomach right out of his mouth.

Adachi wanted to move, to rush forward and attack as All Might started stalking towards Bakugo who was struggling to get up, _"No... I need to take this opportunity!"_ He decided, clenching his fists, as crystals began to slowly form over his body, _"We don't stand a chance of they aren't going to work together... But maybe, if I can just give them a chance!"_

"Ha, I know why you're so angry Young Bakugo," All Might spoke calmly as he stood beside the battered boy, "It's because of Midoriya's sudden improvement right?" Katsuki stiffened, clenching his fists tighter, "But you have to remember your rankings when the year first began, it's much easier to level up when you're a novice." He reminded simply, turning to look at him, "You're wasting your full potential, do you see that? Do you understand me? You've got so much more room to grow stronger boy!" His arms spread wide, "And I don't just mean your Quirk!"

"Sh-Shut up All Might..." Bakugo managed, trying to catch his breath, "I-If I'm so bad that I have to get help from a weakling like him... Then I'd rather lose this... You hear me!?"

Adachi's entire body was encased in crystals now, glowing brightly as he charged them with energy, "Midoriya I'm going to create an opening, get Bakugo and run... I'll follow if I can..." He told him, before charging towards them, All Might totally fixated on Katsuki, he wasn't paying attention at all!

"I see..." All Might slowly raised one fist, "Very well, just remember this was your choice!"

"EMERAAAAALD!" The voice coming from behind reminded All Might of his surroundings, and he turned to see Kaiji just inches away. The boy was charging him with his arms in a cross block between them, "IMPAAAACT!" In the split second before contact, Midoriya blasted by, grabbing Katsuki and taking off down a nearby alleyway.

The impact unleashed a powerful explosion of green flames and emerald shards. Lighting up the street and filling it with smoke as All Might and Adachi were consumed by the blast and a crater left in the dirt. Adachi himself was blown back a ways, wincing in pain as he straightened up, "Sorry for lying Midoriya... But you and Bakugo need to sort your crap out if we're gonna win this... Well, if _you're_ going to win this..." He muttered, eyes fixated on the spot where All Might had been.

"Sacrificing yourself again?" His entire body stiffened, the voice sounding behind him. He tried to turn and throw a punch, only to be interrupted by the back of All Mights hand, the blow to his face sending him tumbling into the dirt. "You know, you've got a bad habit of throwing yourself into the grinder when the situation get's bad..."

"The noble hero always sacrifices himself for the greater good, or a pretty girl." Adachi answered sarcastically as he pulled himself to his feet, wiping blood from his lip as he turned on All Might. Trying to brush off his fears with bravado.

"You think this is a joke?" He questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

 _"I think I'm wasting your time and giving Midoriya and Bakugo a chance."_ Adachi thought, readying into a fighting stance, "Why so concerned all of a sudden?"

"Because you're reckless, charging in carelessly and just hoping everything will turn out alright." All Might stated sharply, "If I were really a villain, you'd already be dead because of the difference in our power! And you'd certainly be no closer to stopping me or saving anyone..."

Adachi spit a bit of blood on the ground in All Might's direction, "Prove it." He instantly regretted those words as All Might crossed the distance between them and slammed a fist into his stomach, "Gaah!" His eyes bulging out, Adachi was sent flying and slammed into a brick wall.

"Self sacrifice is part of being a real hero," All Might continued, walking towards him slowly, "But you must learn when that sacrifice is actually worth the cost to yourself..." He kept his own frustration hidden, for the moment, _"I must sound like a real hypocrite right now... I've done the very same thing so many times, but Young Adachi you must focus on preparing yourself for the future... Not throwing your body away at every chance."_

 _"What the hell... Is he talking about?"_ Kaiji wondered, looking up at All Might while slowly rising to his feet, _"You... You're the one that told me... Told me I could do this!"_ Adachi grit his teeth, thinking about what he almost did when Zodiac took Ashido, temper flaring, "Don't... Don't you **dare** try to tell me what is and isn't worth it..." Clenching his fists tightly as crystals started forming along his arms, "You're the strongest hero... The most powerful man in the world! You could never understand what it's like to make that decision... To be so afraid that everything you have might not be GOOD ENOUGH! And choosing to fight anyways!"

Just as he lunged at All Might, attempting to deliver a Double Dragon Slash, the hero threw a knee upward catching him in the chin. He grabbed Adachi by his arms, squeezing hard enough to shatter the crystals before throwing him across the ground hard. All Might stared down at him, holding his tongue for the moment. Knowing Adachi had no idea of his own weakness... His own powerlessness.

Because that's how it needed to be, and All Might hated it.

"Well maybe its time you start making a different choice," All Might answered solemnly, approaching the downed boy and kicking him in the ribs, sending him flying further up the ruined street. "Listen to your body... And back down." He ordered, internally kicking himself, _"I hate doing this... But Aizawa was right, you're too zealous... You need to learn that you have limits, you're still just a kid..."_ He stopped over Adachi after reaching him again, planting a foot on his chest, "There is nothing wrong with living to fight another day... Wisdom in knowing when to fight and when to back down, now surrender."

Adachi clenched his eyes shut, struggling to move his pained body, "Wisdom? I-If not doing everything in my power to save my friends... Or anyone, is wisdom," All Might flinched, as Adachi opened his glowing eyes wide, "Then I'd rather spend my entire life a FOOL! YOU HEAR ME!?" His scales were starting to glow bright as well.

 _"Is he going to transform?"_ All Might wondered, narrowing his eyes sharply, _"I can't let him!"_ Bringing up his foot with the intention of knocking him out with a kick, All Might gasped as Adachi vanished, _"How much power did he have to force through his muscles to move that fast!?"_ All Might wondered fearfully.

"Agh!" The boy gasped in pain drawing All Might's attention, already feeling his muscles tearing, "Because no matter how hard villains put me down, I _will_ get back up again!" He declared with fire and anger in his eyes, "I know you, and others, don't like it, but I have to do it, because there is so much hate in the world, so much Evil... I can take it! So others don't have to!"

"Stop it you're just going to hurt yourself!" All Might ordered, rushing forward to try and knock him out.

"HRAAAAH!" Raising both fists above his head, he super charged them with energy. Before slamming them into the loose dirt below, creating an explosion of dust that acted as a smokescreen, forcing All Might to shield his eyes. But rather than wait for the dust to clear he swept a hand through the air, the sheer force blowing it away, "Dammit!" Adachi growled, knowing All Might wasn't just going to let him transform, "FINE!" His scales glowed brighter again, as he overcharged his muscles.

All Might had his eyes fixated on Adachi, a clear look of frustration on his face, "If you won't listen to reason... Fine..." He clenched his fists, "Please, forgive me for this... But you must learn!"

"AAAAGH!" Kaiji screamed as he charged, moving with incredible speed just like before. Even as the muscles were tearing in his legs, "I am going to prove I'm strong enough!" He declared, All Might's frustrated expression didn't change until he vanished. Adachi lurched in pain, as All Might delivered another crushing blow to his stomach, he could feel his ribs snapping, _"S-So strong... Even like this I... I can't- NO! Stay determined! I am going to become a symbol of hope for OTHERS!"_

Adachi sprung off his tail, throwing himself upward and slamming the back of his head into All Might's jaw, "Gah!" The hero gasped, stumbling back and holding his chin. He barely had time to react, as Adachi spun around mid air and slammed All Might with his glowing tail, making him slide a few feet back on his heels, the sheer force of the swing creating a shockwave.

"Ngh! Aaagh!" Kaiji cried out in pain, landing on shaky legs. His tail now crooked on the ground behind him, the bones in it were badly damage. But still, he kept his glowing eyes locked onto the Number One Hero, "I told you before! No matter what limbs I lose, bones I break, blood I shed... I will NEVER GIVE UP!" He shouted, clenching his fists tightly even as blood dripped from his fingernails.

"I'm still your teacher and I care about your safety! Stop this NOW!" All Might ordered, blasting towards him. His eyes widened, hearing the sickening snap of bones as Adachi jumped straight up by springing off his broken tail, _"Dammit! These weights are actually letting him keep up with me!"_ He grit his teeth, looking up at the boy overhead.

"You told me you believed in me!" Kaiji clenched his fists tightly, crystals forming over his body, struggling to keep energy flowing into them. Heart racing, and mind clouded with frustration, "Was that all a LIE ALL MIGHT!?" The hero below hesitated, suddenly realizing why Adachi was pushing himself. As the boy descended upon him, All Might jumped back, holding up his arms to shield himself from the blast. Upon hitting the ground the Emerald Impact was released, blowing up another huge crater into the street.

 _"I meant everything I said before, Young Adachi,"_ All Might thought, watching as the dust cleared, _"Ever since the USJ, I knew you were a brave young man with incredible potential... But this is-"_

"I... I don't care anymore!" Kaiji's voice cut through the silence as the dust settled, fire in his eyes even as his scales were starting to dim in glow. His power was fading fast, whatever reserves he had left were used up in that explosion. "I'll make you understand that I can be the Hero I WANT TO BE!" All Might didn't move, as Adachi began sprinting towards him. His eyes filled with a ferocious, feral anger, All Might didn't bother trying to get out of his way. Even as the dimly lit scales started to burn brighter and brighter, "I'll go beyond my LIMIT! PAST ONE HUNDRED PERCENT!" Adachi declared, "I'LL SURPASS YOU!"

But his body was already at its limit, and one missed step was all it took. Before Adachi collapsed forward, and landed face first in the dirt. As if someone had flipped a switch, the glow of his scales faded in an instant as he came to a stop at All Might's feet. His body so drained that his scales even shifted from green to a paler shade of their normal color.

"There isn't much time left in the Exam," All Might stated sadly, standing over him, "Wait here... I'll make sure you get to Recovery Girl... Just rest Young Adachi..." All Might's eyes widened, as he watched Adachi's body start to slowly change. His overdraw of power clear, as he started reverting to that same, scrawny boy he had been when school started, _"He used too much power... His new body couldn't sustain itself any longer..."_ The hero felt a pang of guilt, seeing some of himself in this boys thin, weak form.

"A-All Might... I... Did I... Do something wrong?" Adachi rasped, a shaking and weak hand reached for All Might's leg. Trying to grab him, maybe still trying to fight, "You said... I could do it... I could be that hero... I-I believed you... I still... Believe you..."

"Adachi..." All Might sighed heavily, "I'm so sor-" His words hitched, as he finally saw Kaiji's eyes. They were completely blank, empty... He was unconscious, maybe he had been since he hit the ground. As he looked upon the child, All Might's smile had long since vanished. "There are so many things I wish I could say to you... So much I want to tell you, so you'll understand..." He muttered, wiping his own eyes with one hand while the other idly shifted over his lasting injury, "But for now, I must finish this exam for the others... And hope they learn something as well." Begrudgingly, All Might dashed off towards the gate hoping to catch Bakugo and Midoriya. While Adachi laid motionless, in the crater of his own make.

 **. . .**

"That was brutal..." Kirishima muttered, watching as All Might continued on to find the others, "I'm glad Mina isn't here..."

"Kaiji turned back to... Well, I don't think normal is the right word," Asui added, frowning as she watched, " _Ribbit,_ I hope he's okay..."

"To draw so much power he could keep with All Might, even weighted down," Tokoyami shook his head, "He must have torn his muscles to shreds..."

"To go through so much pain," Iida added in, clenching his fists, "That must have taken absurd about of resolve... Or, perhaps it'd be more accurate to say, a Midoriya level of resolve."

"He was talking to All Might," Uraraka added, frowning sadly, "It looked like they were arguing..."

Yaoyorozu nodded, "Too bad we can't hear what they're saying..."

"Yeah, I'd kill to know what-" Kirishima stopped and his eyes widened, "No... No no no you can't be serious!"

Iida clenched his fists with growing excitement as he watched, "Hang on everyone, looks like this Exam is going into Overtime!"

 **. . .**

Adachi felt like he was floating, as he opened his eyes he saw nothing but a dim green light around him. He couldn't move, but he didn't feel any pain either. Which didn't make much sense to him, considering what he'd just gone through. The last thing he remembered was hitting the ground, after that he must have passed out pretty quickly.

 _"So what... Am I dreaming or dead?"_ He wondered, idly floating through this strange void, _"Wait, who's there?"_

The presence he felt was so familiar, so... Strong. At the same time, it felt like a wave of nostalgia, or an old friend. He could feel energy flowing from this presence. He could feel his physical body thrumming with... Power? He wasn't sure but... It felt good.

 _"So... It's you?"_ Adachi realized finally, a wave of relief washing over him for a brief moment, followed by regret, _"You know... I was kind of afraid I'd lost you... We've gone through so much, I can't believe I traded that for... Well, for more power."_

He could feel consciousness creeping closer, as the presence started to envelop his mind... Or rather, as the presence started to fit back into place where it had left.

 _"So warm... So much... Power."_

Like slipping off of a ledge, Adachi let go and felt himself slip into the presence.

And in the waking world, his eyes shot wide open.

 **. . .**

 _"Where did young Midoriya run off to?"_ All Might wondered as he jogged up the street, _"Since he's hiding does that mean he's going to try making a break for the escape gate?"_

A sudden burst from behind made him come to a stop, as a familiar angry voice sounded, "You're going to wrong way!" Bakugo shouted, holding out his gauntlet protected hand.

"Is that supposed to be a sneak attack?" All Might questioned, as Bakugo unleashed an explosion in his face, trying to blind him.

 _"This is pissing me off,"_ Bakugo thought, unleashing more small explosions creating a smoke screen, _"Working, with someone like YOU! Someone who shouldn't even BE HERE!"_ He grit his teeth, before finally shouting out, "DEKU NOW!"

"Huh!?" All Might's eyes widened, as Midoriya emerged from the smoke behind him. Bakugo's other gauntlet strapped to his arm, _"So that's there plan!"_

"SHOOT NOW!" Bakugo ordered, as he blasted himself high into the air.

"I'm sorry All Might!" Midoriya said as he pulled the pin from the gauntlet, a thunderous explosion was unleashed at point blank. Engulfing the number one hero in fire and smoke while Midoriya was blasted back. A sharp pain piercing his shoulder from the kick, "M-My shoulder!" He winced, sliding to a stop, _"K-Kacchan really uses these!?"_

"Run you idiot!" Katsuki reminded as he flew overhead with his blasts keeping him up.

"Right!" Midoriya kicked on his power, racing behind him towards the escape gate at the far end of the street, while All Might steadily recovered behind them.

 **. . .**

The doors to the room slid open, as Ashido walked into the observation area, "Hey! What did I miss!?" She asked quickly.

Kirishima swallowed nervously, "Uh... Hopefully the worst of it."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Mina asked confused.

"Well..."

"Uh oh, _ribbit,_ " Asui chimed in, "He's picking up a car now."

"What the heck is he gonna do with that!?" Uraraka demanded.

"My guesses are either bludgeoning tool or projectile." Tokoyami shrugged, "But I'm open to other suggestions."

Ashido blinked confused, looking at the screens, "What is going on here!?"

 **. . .**

Midoriya and Bakugo were nearing the end of Main Street in no time. The finish gate was so close now, just a short hundred yards away. They hadn't seen any sign of All Might yet, not since Midoriya blasted him with Bakugo's gauntlet. And the two hadn't stopped running since then either...

"Doesn't look like All Might is chasing us," Midoriya noted after a brief look over his shoulder, "Don't tell me we really knocked him out back there..."

"Of course not!" Bakugo barked at him, "You're the one who keeps crying about how it's impossible to actually beat him! There's no way that attack KO'd him, and when he comes back it'll be MY turn to blast him with a gauntlet!"

"Interesting!" A familiar voice echoed, before All Might appeared between the two with his incredible speed, "And then what will you do?" Bakugo turned on him immediately, raising his gauntlet to fire without even worrying about Midoriya. But before he could pull the pin, All Might shattered it with a single punch, "Don't tell me you're surprised!" All Might smirked, shattering the one Midoriya was wearing as well with a quick jab.

 _"He's way too fast for us!"_ Midoriya realized, staggering back from the blow, _"Even with those weights!"_

"Unfortunately Young Heroes, it's time for you both TO DIE!" He went right back to Bakugo, catching him with a knee to the jaw. The sheer force throwing him into the air back flipping until he slammed into the corner of a building completely destroying it.

"KACCHAN!" Midoriya shouted in fear, racing towards the impact location. He didn't get far though, as All Might grabbed him by the arm and lifted him right off the ground.

"THAT'S MY LINE!" Bakugo roared at All Might, blasting out of the rubble and flying towards him viciously. But his reckless attack left him open, and All Might used Midoriya as a bludgeoning tool to slam him into the ground effectively dazing both of them.

"Aah... Well isn't that wonderful boys," All Might chuckled as he held Katsuki down with his boot, and continued holding up Midoriya by the arm, "You managed to cooperate, however reluctantly, and worked together to stop me! Sadly, that's not enough." He stated sharply, "Cooperation wasn't an option it was a prerequisite for this Exam! And because of your squabbling one of your Team Mates suffered greatly, throwing himself at me to buy you both time to get yourselves together."

Midoriya ceased struggling in realization, "A-Adachi he... He was just buying us time?" The revelation leaving a terrible taste in his mouth, he clenched his teeth and began struggling even harder, "Dammit!"

"What kind of face is that?" All Might questioned smugly, throwing Midoriya hard into the ground nearby, "You planned to get away from me using Maximum Firepower and then make a run for the Escape Gate... It wasn't a terrible strategy, all things considered, but now that I've destroyed Young Bakugo's gauntlets you've lost your heavy attack... You're helpless, this exam is over..."

Midoriya was thinking desperately for a way out of this, _"Adachi... I'm so sorry you had to pay because of my personal issues with Kacchan... If you'd been paired with anyone else you'd have passed this no problem I'm sure."_ Midoriya clenched his fists, steeling his nerves, "I'm still standing All Might!" He declared, "And I won't give up!"

All Might was about to respond, when he was interrupted by a loud, metallic creak. Turning his head just in time to raise his arms before being struck by a flying vehicle. With a yelp of surprise, the car knocked him right off Bakugo and sent All Might crashing closer to the escape gate. Both Midoriya and Bakugo looked towards the source, eyes wide with shock as a familiar figure marched towards them. It was Adachi alright... But he had changed, or rather, reverted. His body was now back to that of his second stage, a taller, muscular reptilian humanoid with armor plating over his mouth. Something was different about him now though, his scales pulsed faintly with energy giving off a dim light.

All Might threw the car off of himself and got up quickly, eyes locking onto his approaching form. Though his costume was in tatters, and he looked a bit bruised, he was moving just fine, "How are you still moving..." He muttered in awe, looking into the boys glowing eyes, _"No... Something is different, those eyes... That isn't Adachi..."_

"Nice work!" Midoriya exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear as Kaiji reached them.

"Grr... About damn time you caught up," Bakugo grumbled, struggling to his feet and keeping his eyes on All Might, "Not sure how much help you'll be, we're in a serious shitfest right now..."

Adachi shook his head slowly at them, before jabbing a finger at All Might and continuing forward.

"What the hell are you doing?" Bakugo demanded.

"That's right, he can't talk in this form!" Midoriya remembered, "Kacchan! We need to work together, to get past All Might and make it through that gate RIGHT NOW!"

"Oh so now you wanna fight?" Katsuki scoffed, rolling his shoulders, "Fine, let's give this big bastard everything!"

 _"I'm not sure what's going on with Adachi's Quirk,"_ All Might narrowed his eyes, _"But I'm running out of time here... I have to give them everything I've got! It's my duty to give them the hardest challenge I can!"_ He blasted forward with his incredible speed, cocking back a fist and preparing to unleash devastating blow, _"And for your safety, Young Adachi, I'll knock you out first!"_

"Adachi MOVE!" Midoriya shouted, noticing he wasn't making any attempt to get clear.

Suddenly, the armor plating around his mouth shifted. A single line splitting around the jaw, opening up and revealing his fanged mouth and unleashing a vent of steam. A bright light was emanating from his throat even showing dimly through his skin, the reptilian hero dropped to all fours digging in all manner of claws to brace himself before a blast of burning energy erupted from his mouth. Unlike the widespread flames, this attack was more focused, like a beam of light. Adachi himself was being pushed back steadily by the force it generated.

All Might's eyes widened in shock, he quickly raised his hands to shield himself. Making the Beam split over his crossed arms and burned away part of his costume. The energy cut through parts of the nearby buildings as it splashed off his seemingly indestructible frame. And while Midoriya was too stunned to move, Bakugo saw his opportunity, "What nothing witty to say All Might!?" He demanded, reaching the Heroes flank and raising his hands, "Not gonna run your mouth about how we're going to fail!? WHERE'S ALL YOUR TALK NOW!" A massive explosion erupted from his hands, broadsiding All Might with the incredible force and sending him crashing into the nearest building, "Perfect..." He muttered with a smirk, "With your power and mine we can actually take this bast-" Katsuki paused, as he looked at Adachi, eyes widening in a mixture of awe and disgust.

The young heroes mouth was in shambles, the armor plating that had opened up almost looked like the edges were melting from the intense heat. While blood ran freely over the sides of his jaw and steam vented steadily with every hot breath he released. The hero growling lowly and his eyes never leaving the spot where All Might had crashed.

 _"Dammit."_ Bakugo clenched his teeth, "DEKU! Get your ass to the escape gate!" He ordered, charging towards the building where All Might had crashed, "Go NOW!"

"B-But-" Midoriya shook off any other thoughts, "Right! I'll go!" Breaking into a sprint for the gate at full speed.

"I don't think so!" All Might blasted out of the dust and smoke, right past Bakugo and Adachi. Spinning mid flight, he kicked Midoriya hard enough to send him flying right into a truck near the exit.

"Gaaah!" He cried out in agony, feeling a terrible pain in his ribs and back, denting the car on impact before collapsing to the ground on the rebound.

"Dammit!" Bakugo growled, raising his hands and firing off another massive blast that consumed All might, "Just stay down you big BASTARD!"

"Hngh!" All Might winced as he took the blast, forcing himself forward out of the explosion, "I could say the same to you three!" He cocked back a mighty fist, "You're certainly a tenacious bunch!" The moment he threw his fist forward, intent on taking down Bakugo for good, Adachi shoved the boy out of the way. Taking the punch directly in his defending right arm, a shockwave being released by the impact, "A-Adachi!?" All Might was taken off guard by his sudden speed, remembering what he'd heard before about his agility dropping in this form. Though he didn't absorb the punch uninjured, the blow to his shoulder dislocating the limb and making it go limp.

 **"GRAAAAH!"** He roared furiously, grabbing ahold of All Might with his clawed hand, sinking it into his arm to hold him in place.

"Thanks for the opening Lizard Lips!" Bakugo sneered, raising both of his hands, "Now I've got a perfect SHOT!"

All Might's eyes bulged as he realized what was about to happen, "Bakugo NO! You'll hit Adachi as well!"

 **"GRAAAAAH!"** The hero roared in All Might's face, showing how little he cared.

 _"This is insane!"_ All Might decided, not wanting Adachi to be blown up as well. He drove his knee upward into the boys stomach to make him release his grip. Before grabbing Adachi by the throat, and throwing him as hard as he could into the same truck Midoriya had hit moments ago. The second Adachi was clear, Bakugo unleashed the mighty blast, firing burst after burst into the Number One Hero attempting to take him down.

"Ngh!" Bakugo winced in pain, arms burning from his overexertion of power, "DEKU GO! HURRY UP!" He shouted furiously, "COME ON! You mean to tell me even with your new control I'm still faster than you!?" Bakugo demanded, as All Might burst through the cloud racing towards him, "At least try to make yourself useful! YOU MORON!" The street lit up with more explosions, as Bakugo continued his relentless attack. Even as his arms cried out in pain, muscles tearing and nerves twisting in agony.

Midoriya winced as he got to his feet, looking back at Bakugo only briefly before he continued moving. To his left, Adachi was slumped down beside the truck, struggling to get back up, it appeared whatever this burst of power was it was finally running out of steam as he released slow heavy breaths like a wounded animal. _"Even if it hurts, I've gotta keep moving, for them!"_ Midoriya decided, cringing in pain with every step, _"If I keep moving towards the Gate, All Might will have to try and stop me... And that means Kacchan will have an opening!"_

Sure enough, All Might changed course quickly. Going straight for Midoriya as he burst through the smoke. Bakugo intercepted, blasting himself into the air to cut him off, "HRAAAAAAH!" Thrusting a hand forward, he was ready to blast All Might away again.

But this time, the Hero dodged his explosion, grabbing Bakugo by the face and spinning as they came down. Slamming him into the dirt, and pinning him down. Midoriya stopped in his tracks, looking back his downed rival in fear.

"It's time to sleep," All Might said, as the dust began to clear around their impact, "Goodnight, Young Bakugo... I'm sorry, I may be the villain but I'm still your teacher," He stated calmly, "And it pains me to see you students sacrifice your own bodies in a fight..." His eyes widened, as Bakugo gripped his arm suddenly, releasing a small explosion, "What th-"

"H-Hurry up..." Bakugo rasped, body far beyond it's own limit as well, "Go! Y-You damn nerd... I'll keep fighting..." Bakugo's eyes were still locked onto All Might, his hand releasing tiny bursts against All Might's arm.

In that moment though, Bakugo could barely see All Might above him. No, instead he saw the faces of his classmates over the past year. He saw Deku, the boy in shambles after their first battle during Combat Training at the beginning of the year. And then again, at the Sports Festival, and what he was able to do by destroying his own body against Todoroki. He saw Adachi, when they were carrying him on a stretcher out of the USJ, after his battle with Noumu. And then, he saw Jiro, smiling and laughing off her injuries and defeat at his hands.

 _"I've seen those losers go so far beyond their limit, destroy their bodies and accomplish incredible things... Reaching levels of power I-... Is that what it means?"_ Bakugo wondered, a small, faint smile spreading across his face, _"To Go Beyond, Plus Ultra..."_ Though his body was totally burned out, his eyes burned with fire, "I'll break myself! Even if there's nothing left of me! I-I'll win the way I want to... I'll destroy myself before I accept defeat at your hands!" Bakugo punctuated his point, smiling in the face of defeat, before biting down hard on All Mights hand, "You got that!?"

The hero paid him little mind, as his lips curled down into a regretful frown, _"First Midoriya...Then Adachi, now Bakugo... These boys, they're so driven, so tenacious... Even with Quirks they control, they'll willingly go beyond their limits, tear their bodies apart just to achieve their victory..."_

Midoriya clenched his fists tightly, body lighting up, as his eyes darted between Adachi and Bakugo, _"What am I doing? I was so scared of actually fighting All Might... I was looking at him like some invincible force that can't be stopped!"_ Images of Adachi's attacks and Bakugo's blasts flashed through his mind, _"And because of that... My team mates suffered! I... I'll make this RIGHT!"_

All Might heard the burst of movement and turned around, "No don't tell me-"

Midoriya was already mid flight, blasting towards him with his fist cocked back and smile forming on his face, "Get out of the way!" He ordered, "MOVE! ALL MIGHT!" Before slamming the Number One Hero hard right in the jaw, "SMMMAAAAASH!" The gust of wind created cleared what remained of the dust, and the force sent All Might flying right off his feet. Before Midoriya landed and grabbed Bakugo, pulling an arm over his shoulder and racing off towards the Exit Gate.

"Ngh! No I won't let you-" All Might hesitated, wincing in pain as his body started steaming. Watching as Midoriya raced through the gate, Adachi limping out close behind him. He fell to one knee, panting heavily as he rubbed his mouth to clear the blood, "Those kids... They really hit me with everything they had... And then some." He muttered, sighing heavily as he felt a sense of pride well within him, "The three of you, however different you are, all share a single trait... No matter what, you never give up fighting... You'll all make great heroes one day."

 **"Team Midoriya, Bakugo and Adachi have passed the Exam!"**

 **"All Matches for the Practical Portion of Class 1-A's Final have been Completed!"**

 **. . .**

Everything was fuzzy, his head throbbed slightly and he felt a strange numbness. Like he was disconnected from his body, floating still. But as he laid there, he began drifting back into place. Feeling slowly spreading throughout his form, and making him more aware of his surroundings. The ringing in his ears slowly faded away, as voices made themselves heard.

"I did what you asked me to do, and it only made him push harder."

 _"... Huh?"_ Adachi wanted to open his eyes, but he wasn't fully awake just yet.

"You're too soft for this job." The familiar sound of their homeroom teacher chimed in, "That kid... He's gonna get hurt if he keeps on like this and I don't mean physically."

"He's already _been_ hurt, Shota," The unknown voice answered, "But he never stops moving forward... You saw our fight, he's not just going to change who he is because he know's it's dangerous... He's known all along how dangerous his actions were."

"He's still just a kid..."

 _"Are they talking... About me?"_ Adachi wondered.

"You can't blame yourself for putting him on this path Aizawa... Telling him to fight, in that moment his response to your words defined who he is going to be, made him realize the kind of Hero he was... Kaiji would have found his way here eventually, the best thing we can do is let him know we'll be behind him, so he has friends to fall back on."

"We need to be his teachers, not his friends..." Aizawa corrected, before begrudgingly adding, "But... I know you're right... I'll continue to watch over him."

"If you two are quite finished," Recovery Girl's voice sounded, "He should wake up any time now, and his friends are waiting... As much as I'd like to keep him here and examine him further, he needs to go home and I've got no good reason to keep him."

"Ngh... Really?" Adachi finally spoke, opening his eyes slowly, "No injuries this time doc?"

"Of course you were injured," She rolled her eyes at him, a figure opening and leaving through the door before Adachi could see him, leaving only Aizawa in the room with the two, "But... Your body healed remarkably fast, quite receptive to my Quirk, more so than usual."

"Right... My body." Adachi looked down at his scrawny, purely human looking form.

"Seems you're power changed a bit again," Aizawa commented as he looked at him, "Either way, you can't maintain that power efficient form you were using... At least that's my theory, as to why you changed back to... This."

"I'll have to test it... Eventually," Adachi smiled faintly as he looked at his hands, wiggling his fingers, "It's been awhile since I haven't had scales, I think I'll worry about upgrading later... Assuming I even can anymore."

Aizawa quirked an eyebrow, "For someone that just lost some of their control over their Quirk, you don't sound very upset." He pointed out, "You could very well fall further behind Midoriya, Bakugo and Todoroki in the class rankings."

Kaiji released a nervous laugh, slowly standing up from the bed, stretching a bit before finally responding, "I think I'm doing just fine, I don't need to be number one, I'm happy where I am right now." He quoted, turning to look at his teacher, "Jiro said that to me yesterday... At first I wasn't so sure what she meant but... I think I get it, I never wanted to be Number One in the first place... It wasn't that power control that saved Midoriya and Bakugo from All Might, it wasn't that power that stopped Shigaraki at Tagua... And it wasn't that power that protected my friends at the USJ."

The tired looking man took a deep breath and sighed, "You're a weird kid... Most wouldn't be celebrating losing control of their power."

Adachi looked down at his hands, remembering that presence he felt inside of his mind during the exam, "I'm a monster, Mr. Aizawa, maybe the key to making myself stronger, is not trying to control this power at all..."

Before the teacher could respond to such an ominous suggestion, the door opened, "Finally!" Kirishima said in an exaggerated tone, "I thought you'd never wake up!" He was followed by Ashido, Tokoyami and Jiro.

"And he's already standing," Tokoyami noted, crossing his arms with a smirk, "Truly this must be a miracle."

Adachi rolled his eyes with a chuckle, "Very funny, yeah I'm good to go I think?" He turned his head looking to Recovery Girl.

"Yes yes you're fine," She sighed shaking her head, "But please let me know if anything changes... Now, if you'll excuse me I have other matters to attend to." She added, taking a clipboard covered with various pictures and papers and heading for the door.

"I will, thanks." He nodded with a grin as she left, before turning attention back to his friends, "So who's up for some grub? Because I am absolutely starving!"

"Yeah you look like you need it," Ashido teased, bouncing forward and suddenly wrapping her arms around his thin frame, "But its good news for me that you're scrawny like before!"

"Gah! C-Can't breathe!" Adachi yelped as she lifted him off the ground, squeezing him tightly with her powerful arms.

"Because I'm all powerful once again!" She faked an evil laughed, the others joining in as Aizawa simply shook his head and hid a faint smile beneath his scarf.

 _"Is it your friends and family that drive you?"_ Aizawa wondered, waving his goodbyes to them and silently heading for the door, _"Is it your desire to be a hero? And reach your goals? Or maybe-"_

"Mr. Aizawa!" He stopped, turning his head to look back at them as Adachi addressed him, the others looking confused at the sudden call out, "I uh... Well, thanks for... I guess, everything." The boy said somewhat nervously, not wanting to outright say why he was thanking him. Considering he only knew what was eating Aizawa because of unintentional eavesdropping, "You're a good teacher."

Aizawa turned his head back towards the door, stuffing his hands in his pockets as his faint smile grew bigger, _"Maybe... You're just a good kid."_ He decided, pulling open the door, "Yeah well, you're an alright student... Most of the time."

Shortly after his departure, the group of friends left Recovery Girls Office. And after picking up Shinso, they all went out to eat and enjoy the relief that they had finished their exams. Though some had failed, they had all learned something from the experience. Even in failure, Kirishima and Ashido knew they could do better, they _would_ do better. Jiro had made a new friend in Koji Koda, and Tokoyami was learning to conquer his weakness. While Adachi was left wondering, just how far he had left to go...

And just what was he truly capable of?

So much happened this past school year. Three friends learned more about themselves, and each other. They made friends, met amazing people, fought villains and overcame great obstacles. It wasn't all good times and laughs, they faced hardships, pain and injury. But together they came out stronger for it, they knew it was all worth it.

And with those bittersweet feelings... The Final Exams, and their first term at UA, came to an end.

 **. . .**

"I'm telling you this doesn't add up..." Recovery Girl pressed, looking over the few pictures she had displayed, showing various close ups of nasty scars.

Nezu crossed his arms, "And you're absolutely sure?"

"I've gone over all his medical records and history twice now," She replied grimly, "No documented injuries in the last school year match these scars... Not the Noumu, not Tagua.. Not even his injuries after the internship in Dokuga."

"So he must have had another encounter with villains..."

"Whether it was self defense, or outright vigilantism... We need to find out the truth."

"..."

"Nezu?"

"I agree... I'll have someone look into it."


	44. Epilogue: A Slice Of Life

**Epilogue**

 **. . .**

Kasumi quirked an eyebrow as her only recurring visitor pushed open the door, "You've been busy lately, I hardly get to see you anymore." She greeted with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"How are the legs?" Kurogiri asked simply, ignoring her comment.

"Sore, just like everything else." She rolled her eyes at him, "What do you want? Doc said I won't be good to go for another few weeks..." She wasn't in bandages or connected to life support anymore, but her body was still weak. She couldn't strain herself, but she was capable of taking care of herself again.

"Come," He said, pulling her wheelchair away from the wall, "You could use a change of scenery."

"Finally gonna take me this old horse out back and put her down?" Kasumi smirked at him, crossing her arms.

She actually earned a chuckle for that, as he pushed the Chair up to her bed, "No, but I do have something I'd like you to see..."

"Hmm, you know you aren't usually this cryptic with me," Zodiac quirked an eyebrow, before shrugging and pulling herself out of the bed, "Fine, not like I've got anything better to do."

"Good choice." Kurogiri answered with a hint of elation, placing a hand on her shoulder as just as she was about to start wheeling herself forward, "Please, allow me." Taking her chair by the handles on back, he pushed her out into the hall and started on their way through the small inconspicuous hideout.

"My such a gentleman!" Kasumi teased, relaxing in her chair as she stared up at the ceiling. It was the first time she'd been out of that room in over a month now, and it felt great, "Aren't you supposed to be babysitting Shigaraki?"

"He left to... Blow off some steam," The warp villain answered, "So I'm free for the evening."

"Blow off some steam?" Kasumi repeated, before letting out a small scoff, "I'm sure we'll hear about that in the news tomorrow."

"Forget about tomorrow, I'd prefer to focus on the here and now." Kurogiri answered, as they neared a door to his private room at the end of the hall.

Zodiac saw his name above the door, and stifled a laugh, "Oh yes of course, you can't contain yourself any longer, you're going to ravage me~!" She swayed in her chair in an enthusiastic manner, "Not that I don't appreciate the offer, but I _am_ still injured."

Kurogiri chuckled at her antics, shaking his head, "As if I would ever do something so barbaric..." He stopped her just outside the door, stepping past her and grabbing the handle, "No, I just figured... Perhaps you wouldn't mind catching up? It has been years..."

As he pushed the door open, Kasumi's eyes widened. Seeing the candle lit room inside, at the center of the well kept space was a table with two wine glasses and plates steaming with freshly cooked cuisine. For one of the few times in her life, the brash, talkative villain was speechless.

"You're free to take it or leave it." Kurogiri added with no small amount of amusement in her voice. Already knowing the answer based on her silence.

"I... I think I'll take it."

 **. . .**

"No way!" Kasumi gasped at Kurogiri's words.

"That's right, pinned me right to the ground," Kurogiri explained, leaning back in his chair. They had long since finished eating, and were swapping war stories, "Not my proudest moment."

"Can't believe some kid got the drop on you," She chuckled, sipping what little was left of her drink, "That was the same one that won their sports festival right?" She questioned, continuing as he nodded, "Sheesh, that little ball of hatred, hard to believe he wants to be a Hero..."

"I was just as surprised," Kurogiri shrugged, "I believe his exact words to me were, 'Don't move, you try anything funny and I'll blow your ass up so bad they'll be piecing you back together for weeks'."

"Sounds like a real maniac," Zodiac smirked, "And it takes one to know one, so I would know~!" She laughed at her own joke, definitely more than a few glasses of wine in.

"He surely wasn't the only one," Kurogiri added, "That boy, Adachi... He ripped Noumu's arm off with his teeth, I have rarely seen something so gruesome," He shook his head, "You're lucky he had more control during your fight, when he battled Noumu that boy was like a rabid animal."

Kasumi groaned, leaning back in her chair, "That kid, he is just so... UGH! I can't stand him, he just comes in all tough and throws punches and transforms and blows himself up and blows me up and doesn't die and-"

"Sounds to me like you really want to crush him." Kurogiri noted absentmindedly, cutting off her rant.

Zodiac smirked wickedly, staring at her plate for a moment, "Crush him? No, I want to rip his fucking head off."

"Mmm, I haven't heard that much conviction in your voice since... Well, since you encountered DK." Kurogiri stated, crossing his arms, "You had the censors in those news reports working overtime."

"Ugh I know right," She rolled her eyes and slumped back into her chair, "It's like I traded my real Nemesis for some batshit crazy kid! How low is that?" She shook her head, "... Since I first encountered DK..." She repeated, looking up at the ceiling for a moment.

"Something on your mind?" He questioned, standing up from his seat and picking up their empty plates. It was getting late, and both of them knew this reprieve couldn't last much longer.

"Just... Ancient history," Kasumi sighed, mustering up the courage to finally say it, "I'm sorry I left... You know that right?"

Kurogiri stopped for a moment, not looking back at her as he approached his sink and set the dishes inside, "I know you couldn't stay either... You were always terrible at playing with others."

"I could have tried, better than stabbing you in the back and running." She responded harshly, though it was more aimed at herself than him.

"You knocked me out, stole some money and ran away, get over it, I did." Kurogiri answered her equally as sharp, "When the others started coming together, and we formed the... Well, what eventually became the League of Villains, it wasn't long after that we were approached by All For One." He explained, running water of the dishes before drying his hands and walking back towards her, "Many of the less... Cooperative of our group were killed or, set aside for future experiments... And I know you, Kasumi," He stated calmly, looking down at her, "You hate following orders, at least back then you did... You would have never accepted his leadership."

"And why didn't you ever come after me?" Kasumi asked curiously, looking right back at him.

"Who said I didn't?" He answered with a hint of amusement, "By the time I tracked you down, you'd already set up shop in Dokuga with your own gang," He explained, "I knew that I would only complicate things for you so... I backed off."

"Everything for me was already complicated," Kasumi chuckled a bit to herself, returning to that usual manic sarcasm, "I am a very complex individual, Kurogiri." Slowly turning her chair towards the door, understanding just as well that it was time to go, "I think you were the only part of it that ever made sense."

"Careful now, that almost sounded genuine." He mocked, approaching the door as she wheeled herself towards it.

"Oh shut up," She rolled her eyes, as he pulled the door open, "And... Thanks, this was... Nicer than I expected." She admitted, before flashing a toothy grin, "Even if I didn't get laid."

"Perhaps next time," It was Kurogiri's turn to roll his eyes, "I appreciate the company, even us villains deserve a slice of life every now and then..."

Kasumi chuckled at that, rolling herself out into the hall and releasing a breath of relief, "That we do... Hit me up again if your busy schedule clears, I won't be far." She assured, making her way back towards her own room.

"I'll keep that in mind."

Both of them knew that no matter what feelings might hang between them, they couldn't dare to reach out for them. In a line of work prone to betrayal, death, torture, capture and imprisonment... Such attachments were only weakness, this was something every villain had to understand. But they could still enjoy a reprieve. And as Kasumi rolled her way back to her room, she had a strange feeling tonight's respite was more for Kurogiri than herself.

Whatever he had to put up with being Shigaraki's handler, it had to be stressful...

 _"Whatever comes next,"_ Kasumi thought as she went, _"I am loyal to you, not this All For One... And when the time comes, I'll crush those who stand in our way, even if I have to do it in his name!"_

It seemed, without fail, that when evil was driven back it was always fated to return. Stronger every time, the heroes would need to be ready for whatever their foes had planned next...

* * *

 **I decided to drop this here and now because, well, I don't think this should be considered a full chapter. What happened last chapter is effectively the climax of, idk, my season 2? Or would it be season three because of the break? Iunno, I'll figure out a timeline eventually...**

 **BUT! I know this is short, but that's because I didn't consider this ending to be a full chapter, just an epilogue and peak into the live of a villain who won't be sitting on her hands for much longer.**

 **Unfortunately, I am going to be not posting any more until the show returns. I have decided I'd rather wait than go digging up the Manga. Simply so I can free up some of my time IRL.**

 **So hopefully I'll see you guys once the show returns! Our story isn't finished yet I assure you that much!**

 **Until next time, Spacebabe is signing off! Hope you all have happy holidays, considering I likely won't be back until after that.**

 **Stay safe and have fun!**


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